ISOLATION PROCEDURES FOR INFECTIOUS DISEASES – SMALL ANIMAL
Types of Segregation
Full Isolation:
Conditions:
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Rabies – No direct human contact without protective equipment
Highly contagious organisms with moderate environmental resistance
transmitted by infected body secretions (aerosol or fecal-oral transmission)
Housing
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Patients should be placed in Room 174 D – Isolation ward
Contact Isolation (semi-isolation):
Conditions
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Highly contagious diseases acquired from the environment, with limited
shedding or susceptibility period AND transmitted by dermal or
transcutaneous contact (e.g.; dermatophytosis) – Use gloves and protective
clothing when handling animal and body fluids. Disinfect all instruments
contacting animals
Contagious organisms with moderate environmental resistance transmitted by
fecal-oral route; risk of spread enhanced by diarrheic feces (e.g.;
campylobacteriosis) – Dispose all feces in sanitary containers. Protective
clothing is recommended because most are zoonoses
Contagious organisms with moderate environmental resistance transmitted by
urine (e.g.; leptospirosis) – Protective clothing when handling urine from
animals with zoonoses
Housing

Patient should be kept in an area away from other animals (e.g., in an isolated
or segregated cage or run); relocation should be limited. Adjacent cages or
runs should not house systemically-ill animals.
Limited Movement:
Conditions
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Diseases acquired from the environment, with limited shedding or
susceptibility period AND transmitted by dermal or transcutaneous contact
(e.g., sporotrichosis)
Low contagious organisms with moderate environmental resistance
transmitted by fecal-oral route (e.g.; FIP) – Dispose all feces in sanitary
containers. Protective clothing is recommended because most are zoonoses
Low contagious organisms with moderate environmental resistance
transmitted by saliva or genital secretions (e.g.; FeLV, brucellosis) –
Protective clothing when handling genital secretions from animals with
zoonoses
Housing

Relocation or movement between cages and runs should be avoided. Treat
patient last in the ward.
Standard Precautions (No need for isolation):
Conditions
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Diseases acquired from the environment, with limited shedding or
susceptibility period AND vector-transmitted, transmitted by transfusion or
with soil reservoirs (e.g., ehrlichiosis, cryptococcosis)
Non-zoonotic diseases caused by environmentally nonresistant organisms
transmitted by bites or close-contact (e.g. Babesia gibsoni, FIV) – House
animals individually
Housing

No special precautions needed aside from normal animal husbandry and good
personal hygiene
Precautions
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Hand washing: After touching blood, body fluids, secretions, excretions,
contaminated items; before and immediately after removing gloves; between
patients.
Personal protective equipment
o Gloves: For touching blood, body fluids, secretions, excretions,
contaminated items, non-intact skin
o Gown: During procedures and patient-care activities when contact of
clothing/exposed skin with blood/body fluids, secretions, and excretions is
anticipated
o Mask, eye protection: During procedures and patient-care activities likely
to generate splashes or sprays of blood, body fluids or secretions
Soiled patient-care equipment: Handle in a manner that prevents transfer of
microorganisms to others and to the environment; wear gloves if visibly
contaminated; perform hand hygiene
Needles and other sharps: Do not recap, bend, break, or hand-manipulate used
needles; if recapping is required, use a one-handed scoop technique only; use
safety features when available; place used sharps in puncture-resistant
container
Disease-Based Precautions
Full Isolation
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Bordetella bronchiseptica
Canine adenovirosis 2 (Infectious laryngotracheitis)
Canine infectious tracheobronchitis (all agents)
Canine influenza (H3N8)
Canine parainfluenza
Canine coronavirosis (respiratory)
Cryptosporidiosis
Distemper
Feline calicivirosis
Feline herpesvirosis
Feline panleukopenia
Feline rinotracheitis
Parvovirosis
Rabies
Rhodococcus equi
Salmonellosis
Tuberculosis
Tularemia
May require Full Isolation
 Major wound infections
 Clostridiosis (C. perfringens, C. dificile)
 Clamydophilosis – Respiratory
 Dermatophytosis
Contact Isolation (Semi-isolation)
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Campylobacter
Clamydophilosis - Respiratory
Clostridiosis (C. perfringens, C. dificile)
Coronavirosis (gastrointestinal)
Dermatophytosis
FeLV
Giardiasis
Leptospirosis
Major wound infections
MRSA, MRSI, MRSP
Multi-drug resistant organisms
Shigellosis
Trichuriasis
Limited Movement
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Brucellosis
Canine adenovirosis 1 (infectious canine hepatitis)
Canine herpesvirosis
Cheyletiella
Dermatophilosis
Escherichia coli diarrhea
Feline thrichomoniasis
FIP
L-form infections
Leishmaniasis
Pediculosis
Scabies
Sporotrichosis
Streptococcal disease - Group G (Streptococcus canis, S. dysgalactiae)
Yersinia enterocolitis
May require Limited Movement
 Clamydophilosis - Conjunctivitis
Standard Precautions (No isolation needed)
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Abscess (not draining)
Anaplasmosis (Anaplasma platys, A. phagocytophilum)
Apergillosis
Ascariasis
Atypical mycobacterium infection
Babesiosis
Blastomycosis
Botulism
Candidiasis
Chagas’ disease
Clamydophilosis - Conjunctivitis
Coccidioidomycosis
Cryptococcosis
Ehrlichiosis
FIV
Hemotropic mycoplasma
Hepatozoonosis
Histoplasmosis
Leprosy
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Listeriosis
Neorickettsia helminthoeca
Neorickettsia risticii
Neosporosis
Nocardiosis
Prototechosis
Pseudorabies
Rock mountain spotted fever
Tapeworms
Tetanus
Toxocariasis
Toxoplasmosis
Agent-Based Precautions
Viral diseases
Type of
Segregation
Adenovirus
Limited
movement

(CAV-1)

(CAV-2)
FULL Isolation
Calicivirus
FULL Isolation
Canine infectious
tracheobronchitis
FULL Isolation
Canine parvovirus
FULL Isolation
Coronavirus
Contact isolation

GI

Respiratory
(dogs)
FULL Isolation
Distemper
FULL Isolation
Feline panleukopenia
FULL Isolation
Feline rinotracheitis
FULL Isolation
FeLV
Contact isolation
(other cats)
FIP
Limited
movement
FIV
Standard
precautions
Duration
Protective Gear
Infective
Material &
Disinfection
Comments
Herpes virus

Cats

Dogs
Influenza

FULL Isolation
Limited
movement
FULL Isolation
H3 N8 (Dogs)
Parainfluenza
FULL Isolation
Pseudorabies
Standard
precautions
FULL Isolation
Rabies
Rickettsial diseases
Type of
Segregation
Anaplasmosis
Standard
precautions

Anaplasma
phagocytophilum

A. platys
Q fever (Coxiella burnetti)
Standard
precautions
Standard
precautions
Standard
precautions
Standard
precautions
FULL Isolation
Rocky mountain spotted
fever
Standard
precautions
Ehrlichiosis
Neorickettsia risticii
Neorickettsia helminthoeca
Duration
Protective Gear
Infective
Material &
Disinfection
Comments
Bacterial diseases
Type of
Segregation
Abscess
See Wound
Infections

Draining

Not draining

Unknown
etiology
Actinomyces
Standard
precautions
Standard
precautions
Atypical mycobacterial
infection
Standard
precautions
Standard
precautions
Bordetella bronchiseptica
FULL Isolation
Botulism
Standard
precautions
Limited
movement
Brucellosis
Campylobacter
Contact isolation
Canine infectious
tracheobronchitis
FULL Isolation
Chlamydophila
Consider Limited
Movement

Conjunctivitis

Respiratory
Clostridium perfringens, C.
difficile
Contact to FULL
isolation
Contact to FULL
isolation
Duration
Protective Gear
Infective
Material &
Disinfection
Comments
Dermatophilosis
Limited
movement
Escherichia coli
Limited
movement
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Diarrhea
Hemotropic mycoplasma
L-form infections
Leprosy
Leptospirosis
Standard
precautions
Limited
movement
Standard
precautions
Contact isolation
Duration of illness
Masks: YES
Gowns: YES, if soiling of clothes
with infective material is likely
Gloves: YES. Wash hands
BEFORE and AFTER gloving.
Infective material:
Urine
Disinfection:
1-Stroke Environ (1:256
dilution)
Survival of the organism in
environment is brief unless it
remains moist
Zoonosis
Shoe covers: YES, if soiling with
infective material is likely
Listeriosis
Lyme disease
MRSA, MRSP, MRSI
Standard
precautions
Standard
precautions
Contact isolation
Until off
antimicrobials and
culture-negative
Masks: No
Gowns: Yes, if soiling of clothes
with infective material is likely
Gloves: Yes. Wash hands
BEFORE and AFTER gloving.
Shoe covers: Yes, if soiling with
infective material is likely
Infective material:
Respiratory secretions,
pus, urine, feces,
depending on location of
infection
Cover lesions whenever
possible
Contain visibly soiled
dressings in the
appropriate leak proof
Measures for contact
isolation per clinician
judgment; consider
isolation if excessive
exudate is present and
containment is not
possible
In outbreaks, cohorting
of infected and
colonized patients may
be indicated if isolation
Multi drug-resistant
organism
Contact isolation
Nocardiosis
Rhodococcus equi
Standard
precautions
FULL Isolation
Salmonella gastroenteritis
FULL Isolation
Salmonellosis
FULL Isolation
Shigellosis
Contact isolation
Streptococcal disease
(Group G), S. dysgalactiae,
S. canis
Limited
movement
Tetanus
Standard
precautions
FULL Isolation
Tuberculosis
Tularemia (Francisella
tularensis)
FULL Isolation
Wound infections
Contact or
FULL isolation

Draining not
covered by
dressing

Dressing does not
contain pus
Contact or
FULL isolation
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Otherwise
Standard
precautions
container or bag
rooms are not available
Disinfection:
1-Stroke Environ (1:256
dilution)
Potential for zoonotic
transmission
Yersinia enterocolitis
Limited
movement
Protozoal diseases
Type of
Segregation
Babesiosis
Cryptosporidiosis
Standard
precautions
Standard
precautions
FULL Isolation
Giardia
Contact isolation
Hepatozoonosis
Standard
precautions
Limited
movement
Chagas' disease
Leishmaniasis
Neosporosis
Toxoplasmosis
Trichomoniasis (cats)
Protective Gear
Infective
Material &
Disinfection
Comments
Duration
Protective Gear
Infective
Material &
Disinfection
Comments
Standard
precautions
Standard
precautions
Limited
movement
Fungal Diseases
Type of
Segregation
Aspergillosis
Standard
precautions
Standard
precautions
Blastomycosis
Duration
Candidiasis
Coccidioidomycosis
Cryptococcosis
Dermatophytosis
Histoplasmosis
Prototechosis
Sporotrichosis
Standard
precautions
Standard
precautions
Standard
precautions
Contact to FULL
Isolation
Standard
precautions
Standard
precautions
Limited
movement
Parasites
Type of
Segregation
Ascariasis
Standard
precautions
Limited
movement
Cheyletiella
Pediculosis
Limited
movement
Scabies
Limited
movement
Tapeworms
Standard
precautions
Standard
precautions
Contact isolation
Toxocariasis
Trichuriasis
Duration
Protective Gear
Infective
Material &
Disinfection
Comments
Syndromes
Type of
Segregation
Diarrhea
Contact to FULL
Isolation
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Acute diarrhea
with a likely
infectious cause
Acute BLOODY
diarrhea with a
likely infectious
cause
Respiratory Diseases

Dogs: Acute
cough; potential
for infectious
tracheobronchitis
Potential
organisms:
canine
parvovirus, feline
panleukopenia
virus, FeLV,
distemper,
coronavirus,
Campylobacter,
Clostridium, E.
coli, Salmonella,
Giardia,
Cryptosporidium,
Trichuris,
Ancylostoma,
Toxocara
FULL Isolation
Potential agents:
see above
FULL Isolation
Potential
organisms:
Bordetella,
Mycoplasma,
Streptococcus,
canine influenza,
Duration
Protective Gear
Infective
Material &
Disinfection
Comments
canine
adenovirus -2,
canine
herpesvirus,
distemper,
parainfluenza

Cats: Acute
sneezing/cough/
nasal discharge,
potential for feline
rhinotracheitis and
other associated
diseases
FULL Isolation
Potential
organisms:
Herpesvirus - 1,
Calicivirus,
Chlamidophila,
Bordetella,
Mycoplasma
Ocular disease
FULL Isolation
Cats: Conjunctivitis,
corneal ulcers
Potential
organisms:
Herpesvirus,
Calicivirus,
Chlamidophila,
Mycoplasma