Infection Control and Biosecurity Policy

Purpose. This policy sets the standards for preventing the spread of infectious disease between animals, and between animals and people, at every Riverbend site.

1.Purpose

Shelters, clinics and boarding facilities hold many animals of unknown health status in close proximity. Infectious diseases such as canine parvovirus, kennel cough, feline calicivirus and ringworm spread quickly without strict controls. Zoonoses such as ringworm, leptospirosis and Q fever also put people at risk. This policy establishes the controls that must be in place.

2.Standard precautions

Workers must apply standard precautions with every animal regardless of its apparent health. Hands must be washed or sanitised between animals and between enclosures. Gloves, gowns and eye protection must be worn where a procedure creates a splash or contact risk. Sharps must be disposed of in an approved container immediately after use.

• Hand hygiene before and after every animal contact
• Dedicated equipment for isolation areas
• Colour-coded cleaning equipment by zone
• No eating or drinking in animal housing areas

3.Isolation and quarantine

All new intakes must be housed in the admission area until a health check is completed. Animals with signs of infectious disease must be moved to isolation and managed under the isolation protocol in the Cleaning and Disinfection Procedure. Movement of animals, people and equipment out of isolation must follow a one-way flow, with isolation attended last on each round.

4.Vaccination and health screening

Boarding animals must have current vaccinations recorded in the Boarding and Grooming Bookings system before check-in. Shelter animals must be vaccinated on intake unless a veterinarian records a reason not to. Workers who handle animals must keep their own tetanus vaccination current and must report any illness that requires a fitness for work assessment.

5.Outbreak response

If two or more animals show signs of the same infectious disease within seven days, the department lead must notify the Senior Veterinarian and the Operations Manager on the same day. The Senior Veterinarian will declare an outbreak, define the affected zone, suspend intakes and movements as needed and direct enhanced cleaning. Outbreaks must be recorded in the Animal Register and reviewed at the next welfare and safety review.

6.Training and review

All workers must complete infection control induction before handling animals and refresher training annually. This policy will be reviewed annually by the Practice Manager and Senior Veterinarian.