Rats! Infection prevention's journey during a hospital kitchen infestation

Infection Prevention and Control programs have the inherent authority to institute extreme measures when an infection is a threat to wellness. This report describes an Infection Prevention and Control program’s collaborative approach when a hospital kitchen was closed due to rodents, how infection risks were mitigated, and practice revisions were made to avoid future infestations. Learnings from this report can be adopted across health care settings to encourage reporting vectors and promote transparency. •Rats are vectors that can spread serious diseases to humans.•There are few references to guide hospitals in preventing rodent infestations.•A multidisciplinary team approach is a beneficial tool to eliminate rodents.•Rodent prevention measures minimize the risk of rodents inhabiting a hospital.•A culture of transparency is key to mitigating rodents in health care facilities.