A study published this year in the
American Journal of Infection Control notes that the presence of pets in a nursing home does not increase a resident's risk for multidrug resistant staphylococci.
Benefit:
In fact, the presence of pets in a facility or weekly contact between residents and a pet was associated with a lower prevalence of MDR staphylococci. Improved health or increase activity among residents with pet exposure, compared to pet-less counterparts, could help explain the lower prevalence, according to the study's authors.