diff --git a/DESCRIPTION b/DESCRIPTION
index 38539428..c1c22119 100644
--- a/DESCRIPTION
+++ b/DESCRIPTION
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 Package: AMR
-Version: 2.1.1.9060
+Version: 2.1.1.9061
 Date: 2024-06-19
 Title: Antimicrobial Resistance Data Analysis
 Description: Functions to simplify and standardise antimicrobial resistance (AMR)
diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index d1aee2df..c86a2b8b 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# AMR 2.1.1.9060
+# AMR 2.1.1.9061
 
 *(this beta version will eventually become v3.0. We're happy to reach a new major milestone soon, which will be all about the new One Health support! Install this beta using [the instructions here](https://msberends.github.io/AMR/#latest-development-version).)*
 
diff --git a/R/sir.R b/R/sir.R
index a1efb0d3..4d8d62e6 100755
--- a/R/sir.R
+++ b/R/sir.R
@@ -832,7 +832,7 @@ get_guideline <- function(guideline, reference_data) {
 }
 
 convert_host <- function(x, lang = get_AMR_locale()) {
-  x <- trimws2(tolower(as.character(x)))
+  x <- gsub("[^a-zA-Z ]", "", trimws2(tolower(as.character(x))), perl = TRUE)
   x_out <- rep(NA_character_, length(x))
   x_out[trimws2(tolower(x)) == "human"] <- "human"
   x_out[trimws2(tolower(x)) == "ecoff"] <- "ecoff"
@@ -860,8 +860,15 @@ convert_host <- function(x, lang = get_AMR_locale()) {
   x_out[is.na(x_out) & (x %like% "sheep|ovine" | x %like% translate_AMR("sheep|sheeps|ovine", lang))] <- "sheep"
   x_out[is.na(x_out) & (x %like% "snake|serpentine" | x %like% translate_AMR("snake|snakes|serpentine", lang))] <- "snakes"
   x_out[is.na(x_out) & (x %like% "turkey|meleagrine" | x %like% translate_AMR("turkey|turkeys|meleagrine", lang))] <- "turkey"
-  if (message_not_thrown_before("convert_host", x) && any(is.na(x_out) & !is.na(x))) {
-    warning_("The following host(s) are invalid: ", vector_and(x[is.na(x_out) & !is.na(x)]), call = FALSE, immediate = TRUE)
+  if (any(x_out %in% c(NA_character_, "animal"))) {
+    x_out[is.na(x_out) & x == "animal"] <- AMR_env$host_preferred_order[1]
+    if (message_not_thrown_before("as.sir", "convert_host_missing")) {
+      message_(ifelse(any(is.na(x_out) & !is.na(x), na.rm = TRUE),
+                      paste0("The following host(s) are invalid: ", vector_and(x[is.na(x_out) & !is.na(x)]), ". "),
+                      ""),
+               "For missing animal hosts, assuming \"", AMR_env$host_preferred_order[1], "\", since these have the highest breakpoint availability.")
+    x_out[is.na(x_out)] <- AMR_env$host_preferred_order[1]
+    }
   }
   x_out[x_out == "ecoff"] <- "ECOFF"
   x_out
diff --git a/inst/tinytest/test-sir.R b/inst/tinytest/test-sir.R
index 428d8462..6c410f79 100644
--- a/inst/tinytest/test-sir.R
+++ b/inst/tinytest/test-sir.R
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ expect_identical(
   c("EUCAST", "CLSI")
 )
 # no missing SDDs
-expect_identical(sum(is.na(AMR::clinical_breakpoints$is_SDD)), 0)
+expect_identical(sum(is.na(AMR::clinical_breakpoints$is_SDD)), 0L)
 
 expect_true(as.sir("S") < as.sir("I"))
 expect_true(as.sir("I") < as.sir("R"))