A paper presented at the Communicable Disease Control Conference in Australia this month called for a ban on puppies in nursing homes. Last year, there were two gastrointestinal outbreaks at an aged care facility in Canberra, Australia that was associated with a four-month-old puppy.
The nursing home and details about the outbreaks are not known. The puppy, which was perfectly healthy, was infected with Campylobacter, which is a bacteria that many puppies shed in large quantities. Since the elderly residents of these homes are susceptible to Campylobacter infections, the authors state that puppies visiting or living in those homes poses a health risk. In addition, the infective dose of Campylobacter bacteria is very low.
The authors of the study recommend that puppies not be permitted in nursing homes until they are a year old. Adult dogs are good companion animals because they have a lower rate of Campylobacter infections.
