Other Uses of Animals in Healthcare
I. If medicinal leeches are used, they should be purchased from a
medical supply vendor, maintained in pharmacy, and discarded
as regulated medical waste after used (engorged).
A. Consider decolonizing leeches (ie, eliminate carriage of Aeromonas) by
feeding leeches on an appropriate antibiotic or prophylactically treating
the patient with an appropriate antibiotic.
II. Fish tanks in hospitals should not be allowed due to the
risks of infection from maintenance of the fish tank and the
possibility of aerosol transmission of Legionella spp.
A. If a facility chooses to have an aquarium, it should be covered, not
accessible to patients, maintained by a professional staff, and not
placed in a clinical area or in an area with immunocompromised
patients. Protocols should be established for aquarium management,
including measures to reduce contamination of the environment
with aquarium water. Because of the increased risks associated
with reptiles (eg, aquatic turtles) and amphibians (eg, African dwarf
frogs), aquatic reptiles should not be kept in aquariums in healthcare
facilities.
III. If maggot debridement therapy is used, only appropriate
decolonized flies or fly larvae should be purchased. Maggots
should be handled as biohazardous waste after being removed
from a patient.
IV. Farm and zoo animal events should not be allowed in a
healthcare facility or on healthcare facility property (eg,
outside the facility).
