INCIDENCE OF HOSPITAL ACQUIRED INFECTIONS TO ANIMALS FROM VETERINARY HOSPITALS

– The present study was undertaken to get an idea regarding incidence of hospital acquired infections from inanimate objects in veterinary hospitals to animals. In this study, a total of180 samples were collected twice daily immediately after opening and closing of hospital thrice in a week for a period of two and half months from different areas in the hospitals such as chairs in the waiting area, general examination of 180 Tables in outpatient ward and injection ward. Samples were collected using wet swabs in 4 cm 2 area from selected places and analyzed for total viable count and presence of pathogens i.e., Escherichia coli , Staphylococcus spp and Salmonella spp. The total viable count in different places of hospital environment ranges from 52.96 x10 3 cfu/cm 2 /ml to 113.60x10 3 cfu/cm 2 /ml. Out of 180 samples collected from three different places of veterinary hospital, 89, 103 and 94 samples shown positive for Escherichia spp, Salmonella spp and staphylococcus spp respectively. The incidence was 40% and 58.8% for Escherichia coli , 44.4% and 70% for Salmonella spp,38.8% and 65.5% for Staphylococcus spp in the morning and evening samples respectively. The