Module 5: Lab animal health

Question 1

Discuss potential disease risks in the animal facility, including specific predisposing factors which may be relevant, and describe methods available for maintaining appropriate health status.

Answer 1

• infectious diseases caused by vira, bacteria and paracites, which may all infect the animals
• zoonotic: may also infect humans and eventually cause disease in humans/animals or interfere with the research
• Fulminant vs latent: infections causing clinical symptoms that are observable vs. infections W/O a clinical expression

o Poor ventilation, overcrowding & inadequate hygiene predisposes to disease
o Certain strains may have genetic susceptibilities to specific diseases.

Latent infections:
Infections that do not cause diseases may still interfere with the research by:
- changing the immune system
- changing the physiology
- changing sensitivity to cancer
- changing the fertility
- or may compete with infections that you want to infect the animal with

• Methods for Maintaining Appropriate Health Status:
  o 3-step-rocket: rederivation, Protection & Health Monitoring
  o Isolate new arrivals to prevent the introduction of infectious agents.
  o Implement strict cleaning protocols for cages, equipment, and facility areas.
  o Use vaccines & preventive treatments

Question 2

Describe how the animal facility is organized to maintain an appropriate health status for the animals and the scientific procedures.

Answer 2

• facility: strictly separate clean from dirty, use of airlocks, HEPA filters, controlled ventilation systems & dedicated rooms for quarantine, housing & procedures
• implement standard operating procedures (SOP)
• comprehensive training of staff
• three-step rocket: rederivation, protection & health monitoring

Rederivation:
Breeders produce infection-free animals, e.g., by embryo transfer

Protection:
Strains/stocks are placed behind a barrier or in isolated surroundings

Health monitoring:
Procedures:
- inspecting the pelt and the skin under a microscope for ectoparasites
- serology on serum for antibodies to vira (and some other agents)
- look for bacteria in e.g., the genitals, the ileum, the caecum, the trachea and the nose
- look for parasites in the feces
- inspections to see if there are any pathological changes in the organs

In experimental settings:
- dirty bedding: sentinels (animals used for the sole purpose of health monitoring) are placed in a clean bedding, but with a little amount of dirty bedding from the other animals. These sentinels are then routinely sampled and submitted to a lab, as it would be in a breeding colony.