Summary
When you touch something contaminated—either in the kittens’ space or elsewhere—and then touch another thing or things, you are potentially a fomite transmitting pathogens. Learn how to minimize being a fomite by following these guidelines.
Minimizing Disease Transmission Through Fomites
Fomites are any object that can serve as a vehicle or item to carry or transmit pathogens from one place to another. Think about all of the things you touch. All of these items are potential fomites. Keeping kittens’ space clean is essential to protect the kittens and to avoid tracking pathogens from the kitten space/s to other areas or animals.
- Wash hands with soap and water before and after touching kittens or anything in their space. Every time you touch a contaminated surface, you serve as a fomite that can spread pathogens to anything else you touch.
- Anything you touch can act as a fomite, including your face, hair, clothing and footwear, eyeglasses, jewelry, pens, clipboards – literally, anything in kittens’ space can become contaminated and transmit diseases. These items, if touched or exposed, should also be cleaned after touching kittens or items in their environment. It’s helpful to change clothing after leaving the kittens’ space or wear cover-up clothing that can be left in the kittens’ space.
- All surfaces commonly touched (such as medication bottles, door knobs, light switches, cabinet handles, garbage can lids) should be cleaned with a detergent solution. Apply a disinfectant solution for the appropriate contact time.
- Consider using disposable items: litter boxes, paper food bowls, plastic utensils, newspaper or scent-free pee pads, for example.
- Never use the same litter scoop or scraper between cages or rooms or the same broom, mop, sponge, brush, etc. between different groups of kittens. Have separate supplies for each litter: a separate scale or weighing container to hold kittens. Having separate litter scoops, scales, pens, clipboards, toys and other items you need to touch is important to reduce potential fomites and disease transmission.
Clean your cleaning supplies regularly with appropriate products: brushes, brooms, buckets (inside and out), washcloths, and the exterior of spray bottles.
