Dogs in hospital may not be patients' best friend: study

0 Comments | AFP, May, 2006

OTTAWA (AFP) — Dogs brought into hospitals to boost patients' spirits and help improve their health may actually be spreading disease, according to a new Canadian study.

Researchers at the University of Guelph's Ontario Veterinary College found that 80 percent of so-called "therapy" dogs carry animal diseases capable of infecting humans.

Their research was published in the current Journal of Hospital Infection.

"The potential is there, but we don't yet know if it happens," veterinarian Sandra Lefebvre said in a statement.

"It would depend on a lot of factors like the immune status of the people interacting with the dogs, if they have an open wound, or if they put their hand in their mouth after handling the dog."

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