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The newest medical expert at Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) might surprise you.
Angus, a two and a half year old English springer spaniel, is teaching VCH’s infection fighting team a lot.
VCH’s infection fighting team is learning a lot from an unlikely source – an English springer spaniel named Angus https://t.co/CtDc6WWgWd pic.twitter.com/7m70FVDAor
— VCH Healthcare (@VCHhealthcare) March 13, 2017
He’s trained to sniff out Clostridium difficile, or C. difficile, which is a superbug that attacks people whose immune systems have been weakened by antibiotics.
“Since Angus started working in the hospital, we’ve been learning a lot from him and this innovative new approach to detecting C. difficile,” said Health Minister Terry Lake. “As a formerly practicing veterinarian, I’m not surprised to hear how well Angus has been doing.”
Over the last few months, Angus has been well received by patients at Vancouver General Hospital, where the dog is working full time.
Dr. Elizabeth Bryce, VCH’s Head of Infection Control, says the integration of Angus into the busy healthcare environment has been seamless.
Angus and the K9 Infection Prevention Team working at #VGH. Dogs trained to sniff out superbug C. difficile. More: https://t.co/MynGZvJVQ3 pic.twitter.com/lNf4kP8mUi
— Naomi Yamamoto (@naomiyamamoto) March 14, 2017
“Angus has provided us with a whole new window for identifying reservoirs of C. difficile that we haven’t identified in the past.”
For example, Angus has detected the infection in discarded pieces of furniture and outdated medical equipment, which has taught medical experts that there’s a correlation between clutter and C. difficile.
Angus isn’t alone either, as he’s part of a larger K9 Infection Prevention Team that involves clinicians, housekeeping staff and now a second dog.
That dog is named Dodger, and he’s in the early stages of training to detect C. difficile.
Introducing Dodger, Angus' new colleague, another superbug sniffing pup #bchc pic.twitter.com/YTeBadVw39
— VCH Healthcare (@VCHhealthcare) March 13, 2017
VCH has received national and international awards for its innovative work trying to combat the spread of antibiotic resistant organisms.
It was the first health authority in Canada to use ultraviolet light to supplement the disinfection process, which is the most effective way to remove an infection like C. difficile.
“We are currently one of the top users of UV disinfection in North America,” said Bryce. “We are better able to utilize UV disinfection where it is most needed after Angus detects C. difficile in the environment.”
There’s no dog like Angus currently working for Interior Health, but the success VCH has seen will likely lead to other health authorities across Canada following suit.
Here's Angus & Dodger – the friendly superbug infection-fighters! Learn more: https://t.co/CtDc6WWgWd #GoodBoy #DogsWithJobs #BCHC pic.twitter.com/8JzxQV8b1j
— VCH Healthcare (@VCHhealthcare) March 13, 2017
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