Chapter 6 Health Surveillance and Quality Assurance

Question 1

the number of colony-forming units are used to indicate what?

Answer 1

the amount of bacteria on a surface

Question 2

what bacterial species is used to check adequacy of autoclaving?

Answer 2

bacillus stearothermophilus

Question 3

adhesive plastic tape used to monitor cage washers turns from silver to black at a temperature of ……… for …….. seconds.

Answer 3

82 + or - 1 degress C

13

Question 4

light levels above …….. foot-candles cause retinal damage in some albino animals.

Answer 4

75

Question 5

fire alarms below what frequency are considered inaudible to rodents?

Answer 5

450 Hertz

Question 6

what is the term for animals used to help assess and monitor the health status of laboratory rodent colonies?

Answer 6

sentinel

Question 7

in general, how long does it take for an animal to develop an immune response to a specific pathogen?

Answer 7

10 to 14 days

Question 8

why is autoclaved feed fortified?

Answer 8

to replace nutrients lost during the autoclaving process

Question 9

what type of feed is accompanied by information pertaining to known contaminants and their concentrations?

Answer 9

certified feed

Question 10

the water supply should be monitored for what three types of contaminants?

Answer 10

bacterial, chemical and heavy metal

Question 11

Which of the following best describes the detection of bacteria, viruses, or parasites at an early stage of
infection in an animal facility?
a. Health surveillance
b. Quality assurance
c. Animal observation
d. Environmental monitoring

Answer 11

a. Health surveillance

Question 12

What is the term for animals used in the health surveillance of rodent colonies?

a. Standards
b. Sentinels
c. Controls
d. Samples

Answer 12

b. Sentinels

Question 13

What is the goal of a quality assurance program?

a. To ensure that all experimental animals have the best health surveillance possible
b. To ensure that a program meets specified requirements
c. To ensure that all experimentation is done in accordance with scientific standards
d. To ensure that all experimental results are published in scientific journals

Answer 13

b. To ensure that a program meets specified requirements

Question 14

What is the main goal of maintaining sentinels in animal rooms?

a. To identify the pathogens present in newly received animals
b. To protect the colonies from infection
c. To allow early detection of infection affecting the colony
d. To provide animals that can be used as alternates in case of death of experimental animals

Answer 14

c. To allow early detection of infection affecting the colony

Question 15

Which of the following poses the highest risk for introducing pathogens into an animal facility?

a. Introduction of live animals
b. Contamination brought in by facility staff
c. Growth of microorganisms in the room’s waste containers
d. Spoilage of feed and bedding

Answer 15

a. Introduction of live animals

Question 16

Which organism is identified by a cecal exam postmortem?

a. Helicobacter spp.
b. Brucella spp.
c. Syphacia spp.
d. Aspiculuris spp.

Answer 16

d. Aspiculuris spp.

Question 17

How many days does it generally take for an animal to develop an immune response to an agent?

a. 3-5
b. 10-14
c. 15-20
d. 30 or more

Answer 17

b. 10-14

Question 18

Which time frame of the animal’s health status is revealed by serological tests on samples taken when
animals arrive at the facility?
a. Health status upon arrival at the facility
b. Health status when they left the vendor’s facility
c. Health status 2 weeks before shipment
d. Health status 4-6 weeks prior to arrival at the facility

Answer 18

c. Health status 2 weeks before shipment

Question 19

If an animals tests negative for a pathogen 3 weeks after arrival at the facility, which of the following
conclusions is appropriate?
a. The animal was free of this pathogen 2 weeks after arrival.
b. The animal was free of the pathogen when shipped.
c. The animal is free of the pathogen at the present time.
d. The animal was free of the pathogen 2 weeks prior to shipment.

Answer 19

b. The animal was free of the pathogen when shipped.

Question 20

What is the minimum age for sentinel animals?

a. 3 weeks old
b. 4-8 weeks old
c. 8-12 weeks old
d. 6 months old

Answer 20

c. 8-12 weeks old

Question 21

What is a main factor for determining the number animals used as sentinels?

a. The space available in the animal room
b. The cost involved in maintaining the animals
c. The number of pathogens being tested
d. The expected morbidity of the agents being monitored

Answer 21

d. The expected morbidity of the agents being monitored

Question 22

When microisolation cages are being used to house experimental animals, the sentinels are housed in
cages that contain _______from other cages in the room.
a. mixed bedding
b. used water bottles
c. neonates
d. soiled enrichment devices

Answer 22

a. mixed bedding

Question 23

Why is it recommended that sentinel cages be moved frequently around the room?

a. To ensure that the sentinels are unaffected by variations in air flow or humidity
b. To allow airborne transmission to be sampled from different areas of the room
c. To avoid spreading disease by long-term exposure to sick animals
d. To ensure that the sentinels are in contact with all animals in the room

Answer 23

b. To allow airborne transmission to be sampled from different areas of the room

Question 24

. How soon after exposure should a sentinel be tested for a specific pathogen?

a. Immediately
b. Within 2 weeks after exposure
c. 3 to 6 weeks after exposure
d. 8 to 12 weeks after exposure

Answer 24

c. 3 to 6 weeks after exposure

Question 25

Which of the following activities must be done regularly in order to maintain the water quality in
automatic watering systems?
a. Flush cage rack water lines.
b. Sanitize water lines and connectors.
c. Change in-line water filters.
d. All of the above

Answer 25

d. All of the above

Question 26

Which of the following can be a consequence of the introduction of vermin into the facility?

a. Food contamination
b. Compromised experimental data
c. Damage to electrical cords
d. All of the above

Answer 26

d. All of the above

Question 27

Which temperature activates the heat-sensitive tape used to monitor cage wash cycles?

a. 72 ± 1 °C
b. 82 ± 1 °C
c. 92 ± 1 °C
d. 102 ± 1 °C

Answer 27

. b. 82 ± 1 °C

Question 28

Exposure to acoustic levels above what level of decibels can have harmful effects?

a. 15 dB
b. 30 dB
c. 50 dB
d. 85 dB

Answer 28

d. 85 dB

Question 29

What are the two methods used to detect pinworm infection?

a. Anal tape test and postmortem cecal exam
b. ELISA and PCR
c. HAI and MFI
d. All of the above

Answer 29

a. Anal tape test and postmortem cecal exam

Question 30

Which of the following characteristics applies to Bacillus stearothermophilus?

a. Pathogenic
b. Anaerobic
c. Thermophilic
d. Gram-negative staining

Answer 30

c. Thermophilic

Question 31

What type of injury can levels of light photo intensity above 75 foot-candles cause in albino animals?

a. Neural
b. Retinal
c. Endocrine
d. Adrenal

Answer 31

b. Retinal

Question 32

In microisolation cages, what is an important factor that affects the temperature and humidity level?

a. Position of the cage in the rack
b. Time since the last cage cleaning
c. Type of plastic used in the cover
d. All of the above

Answer 32

b. Time since the last cage cleaning

Question 33

. Noises and vibrations transmitted in the building of an animal facility can commonly cause what changes
in rodents?
a. Reduced fertility
b. Retinal injury
c. Epilepsy
d. Adrenal tumors

Answer 33

a. Reduced fertility

Question 34

What are two alternatives methods that can be used to reduce or eliminate the noise that typically is
used in traditional fire alarms?
a. Low frequency sounds or long wavelength red flashing lights
b. High frequency sounds or short wavelength red flashing lights
c. Low frequency sounds or short wavelength blue flashing lights
d. High frequency sounds or long wavelength blue flashing lights

Answer 34

a. Low frequency sounds or long wavelength red flashing lights

Question 35

Levels of light photo intensity above what level can cause retinal damage in albino animals?

a. 25 foot-candles
b. 50 foot-candles
c. 65 foot-candles
d. 75 foot-candles

Answer 35

d. 75 foot-candles

Question 36

An inadequate quality assurance program can compromise the \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ and \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ of the
experimental results.
a. number; significance
b. validity; reproducibility
c. frequency; extent
d. quality; quantity

Answer 36

b. validity; reproducibility