Disinfectants and questionable advertising
Disinfectants aren't very important for your average pet owner. They are more of an issue for kennels and veterinary hospitals, but there are situations where disinfection of an area contaminated by a pet might be needed.This is particularly true for certain microorganisms that can persist in the environment for a long time. The "poster bug" for this in dogs is canine parvovirus.
As many pet owners know, canine parvovirus is a very hardy virus. It can live in the environment for years and is resistant to many commonly used disinfectants. Careful cleaning and disinfection may be required in some situations where an infected animal has been in an area, particularly if it has passed diarrhea. Choosing an appropriate disinfectant can be a problem.
Bleach is a good disinfectant and can kill parvovirus, but it's noxious and isn't a good option for many surfaces. At our hospital, we use accelerated hydrogen peroxide, an excellent disinfectant that can kill parvovirus, but it's more expensive. Many other disinfectants are out there, and many have claims on their labels that they can kill parvovirus. Unfortunately, many (or most) cannot. Some just have claims that aren't based on any evidence. Others provide somewhat misleading information that can confuse buyers.
A good example is a product I was asked about today. It was a quaternary ammonium disinfectant, a common class of disinfectants with variable and often poor killing effect on parvovirus. The product claimed to kill parvovirus, but on closer reading, there's a major issue. The disinfectant is supposed to be used at a dilution of 4.5 ounces per gallon of water, yet the parvovirus-killing claim was for a dilution of 18 ounces per gallon. So, it might really kill parvovirus, but if it only does so at 4 times the typical concentration, how useful is it?
Do people that are using it under the pretense that it kills parvo realize the issue? Probably not.
Would people actually use it at 4 times the regular concentration? Perhaps. But that makes it 4 times as expensive, at which point it might actually be cheaper to use a better disinfectant like accelerated peroxide.
Is this fair advertising? That's questionable. Yes, all the information is there, but you shouldn't have to read the fine print. If the product says it kills parvo, it should be proven to do so at the regular recommended concentration. If it only kills parvo at high concentrations, that should be written right alongside the statement that it kills parvo.
Buyer beware.
(Photo credit: Uwe Gille [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons)
Eliminating E. cuniculi in the household
A recent question:
"I have two rabbits who just tested positive for E. cuniiculi... Can you please tell me how to disinfect my floors and kill the parasites? I don't think bleach is doing it."
Encephalitozoon cuniculi is a strange little bug. It a member of a unique group of organisms called microsporidia. Originally thought to be parasites like Giardia, they are now classified as a type of fungus. Regardless, E. cuniculi is common in the pet rabbit population, causing neurological disease in some rabbits but living in many others without any signs of illness.
Infected rabbits shed E. cuniculi spores in urine, feces and respiratory secretions. Other individuals are infected by ingesting (and possibly inhaling) these spores. Infected rabbits start to shed spores in urine a month or two after infection, and can continue to shed low levels of spores intermittently. This, along with close housing of pet rabbits and movement of rabbits between breeders, stores and owners, explains why, in some studies, up to 75% of tested rabbits have evidence of current or prior infection.
Disinfecting household environments can be tough because of the surfaces that are involved. Encephalitozoon cuniculi is quite hardy and can live in the environment for prolonged periods of time. It is susceptible to a several types of disinfectant, including bleach, 70% alcohol and 1% hydrogen peroxide. In general, bleach is highly effective and is probably the standard for disinfection of surfaces that can tolerate it. Obviously, bleach isn't a good option for many surfaces like carpets. Steam cleaning might help, as much for the thorough cleaning component as for the steam.
One thing to consider is whether aggressive household disinfection is really required. While humans can be infected, infections are uncommon and predominantly occur in people with compromised immune systems, especially those with HIV/AIDS. If there are no high-risk people in the household, I don't think I'd be too aggressive with disinfection. Good hygiene practices involving handling of the rabbits and their cage are probably much, much more important, and its better to focus efforts there. Household disinfection for protection of the rabbits is probably not too useful at this point. I would suspect that all rabbits in the household have already been exposed, and since infected rabbits can continue to shed intermittently, rabbits are a much greater source of infection than the household environment.
More information about E. cuniculi can be found in our archives.
Over-indulgence: Canine-style
As we approach the holidays, a lot of people are going to eat and/or drink too much, and suffer the consequences. The same can happen with dogs, and sometimes both the dog and their owner pay the price. Dogs get into things they shouldn't all the time... too much food, garbage, dead critters and various other "dietary indiscretions" can easily lead to diarrhea (and sometimes more serious problems). During the holidays, there's often a greater opportunity for dogs to steal food or to be fed too many treats or leftovers. Sometimes it's dramatic - like a 60 pound Lab eating a 15 pound turkey - but often the first sign of a problem is the pile of diarrhea on the floor (usually at 3 AM, in the case of my dog).
So, after yelling at the dog, blaming someone else for leaving food out, and perhaps cleaning off your foot (depending on where you stepped), how do you clean up this mess without getting sick yourself?
The good news is diarrhea from dietary indiscretions is not usually associated with zoonotic microorganisms like Salmonella or Campylobacter. However, those and other potentially harmful bacteria can be found in any dog feces, and you have to assume that diarrhea is infectious. The risk of infection of people is probably low, but you don't want to take unnecessary chances (especially over the holidays).
First things first: Clean up as much of the diarrhea as possible. Ideally wear gloves, and clean up the diarrhea using paper towels or something else disposable. Don't wander around the house with the diarrhea-soaked items - bring a garbage bag with you to the scene of the "accident".
After the bulk of the mess has been removed, your next step depends on a few things, including the surface, what you have available, and whether any high risk people are in the house (i.e. infants, elderly, people with compromised immune systems).
- Smooth, sealed surfaces (e.g. tile, laminate, sealed wood) are easy to clean and disinfect. A general cleaner can be used to remove traces of diarrhea. If you want to disinfect the area, use a general household disinfectant or dilute bleach solution (1 part bleach to 50 parts water). While general household disinfectants may not kill everything, I'm not sure aggressive disinfection is needed in most households. Thorough cleaning does a very good job, and we aren't trying to make the house sterile. I'd be more concerned about disinfection in a household with high-risk people (particularly infants who may crawl over that part of the floor). If you are concerned about bleach damaging the surface, use something else or test it on an out-of-the-way area.
- Carpet is problematic because it's pretty much impossible to disinfect. After removing as much diarrhea as possible, use of a carpet cleaning spray might be helpful (but it's more effective for removing stains, not pathogens). A few disinfectants can be used on carpets safely. Bleach isn't a good idea unless the carpet is already (or was originally) white. Even with a good disinfectant, you're very unlikely to kill all of the bacteria present, because of the ability of microbes to hide in fabric. Steam cleaning is another option.
Once that's done, don't forget the most important step: wash your hands thoroughly. (The second-most important step might be to cordon the dog off in a more easily cleanable area for the rest of the night in case further accidents occur).
Overall, the risk of getting sick from overindulgence-associated dog diarrhea is pretty low. I focus on cleaning up the mess and don't worry about thorough disinfection. That's probably reasonable in a low risk household, but I'd be more wary around high-risk individuals.
