Microisolator Colonies
Mice and rats in our clean (microisolator) colonies are continually tested for disease by use of sentinel animals (from the french "sentinelle" meaning watchtower). The sentinel mice are outbred mice on Swiss background, free of designated pathogens (SPF), housed 2 per cage, one cage per single-sided rack. The sentinel rats are SPF female outbred rats, housed 2 per cage, one cage per single-sided rack. At each bedding change, soiled bedding from each of the rack cages is added to the sentinel cage, thus exposing the sentinels to diseases carried by colony animals. One quarter of all the sentinel cages in each room are tested monthly on a rotating schedule so that each sentinel cage is exposed to colony animal bedding for up to 4 months. Serum from only one of the paired sentinels is evaluated: serum from the second animal is frozen and evaluated in the event of a positive test from the first animal. Mesenteric lymph nodes from sentinel mice are frozen and tested by PCR when serology suggests an infection with a mouse parvovirus.
Mouse sentinels are evaluated for pathogens in the short screen every month, and additionally for pathogens in the complete screen twice a year. Rat sentinels are evaluated for the rat screen every month.
Clean Conventional Colonies
Sentinel mice are female outbred SPF mice, housed 2 per cage, 2 cages per room. Sentinel rats are SPF female outbred rats, housed one per cage, at least 2 cages per room. At each bedding change, soiled bedding from at least one shelf from every rack is added to one of the sentinel cages. All sentinel cages are evaluated for the short mouse screen (as described for the microisolator program) or the rat screen every 6 months. PLEASE NOTE: Although conventional colonies are maintained in non-barrier conditions, they are free of excluded pathogens unless otherwise noted.
Quarantine
Incoming animals are tested on arrival for ectoparasites by fur pluck of one animal per cage,and for Helicobacter spp.. by fecal PCR. Two SPF female weanling outbred sentinel animals age 3-6 weeks are used for each shipment: one sentinel is ear punched and placed in a shipment cage, (the 'contact sentinel') the other is placed in its own cage containing soiled bedding from the shipping box (the 'bedding sentinel'). At the first bedding change, the contact sentinel is removed from the shipment cage and placed with the bedding sentinel. Both sentinels continue to be exposed to soiled bedding from every shipment cage at each cage change. After 6 weeks exposure the sentinels are submitted for the complete mouse or rat screen as described above. The contact sentinel is tested as described above, while backup serum is stored from the bedding sentinel.
Short Mouse Screen:
IN-HOUSE TESTING
Ectoparasites (mites) by microscopic evaluation of fur plucks
Endoparasites (pinworms) by cecal and colon float and anal tape test
Gross necropsy followed by histopathology where indicated by gross findings.
SEROLOGICAL TESTS SENT TO BIORELIANCE
ELISA TESTS:
Mouse Hepatitis Virus (MHV)
Epidemic Diarrhea of Infant Mice (rotavirus, EDIM)
Theiler's Murine Encephalomyelitis Virus (TMEV, GDVII)
Mouse Parvovirus (MPV1) (VP2)
Minute Virus of Mice (MMV, formerly MVM)
Complete Mouse Screen = agents in short screen PLUS:
SEROLOGICAL TESTS SENT TO BIORELIANCE
ELISA TESTS:
Mouse Adenovirus II (MAD K-87):
Ectromelia (Ectro)
Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus (LCM)
Mycoplasma pulmonis (M. pulmonis)
Pneumonia Virus of Mice (PVM)
Reovirus (Reo)
Sendai Virus (Sendai)
IFA TESTS:
Mouse Cytomegalovirus (MCMV)
Rat Screen
IN-HOUSE TESTING
Ectoparasites (mites) by microscopic evaluation of fur plucks
Endoparasites (pinworms) by cecal float and anal tape test
SEROLOGICAL TESTS SENT TO BIORELIANCE
Pneumonia Virus of Mice (PVM)
Cilia Associated Respiratory Bacillus (CARB)
Mycoplasma pulmonis (M. pulmonis)
Reovirus (Reo)
Sendai Virus (Sendai)
Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus (LCM)
Rat Coronavirus/Sialodacryoadenitis Virus (RCA/SDAV)
Rat Parvovirus (RPV or RMV)
Kilham Rat Virus,
H-1 Virus
