Animal Health Protection in Research Institutions Quiz

Procurement and Transportation of Laboratory Animals

• A centralized animal purchasing system allows for adequate space, caging type, staffing levels, and supplies management.
• Animals must be associated with an approved protocol number before they are ordered.
• Animals may be ordered from vendors locally, internationally, or from colleagues within the same institution.
• Procurement forms require specific information about the requested animals, including species, strain, sex, age, microbiologic status, and any special housing requirements.
• Vendors vary in the quality of animals they provide, and many institutions only purchase from vendors that provide health screening reports.
• The transportation of laboratory animals is strictly regulated by the AWR, specifying temperature ranges, ventilation, cleanliness, space, and feeding and watering requirements.
• Animals should be transported in climate-controlled vehicles to minimize stress and exposure to pathogens or environmental conditions.
• The type of carrier selected depends on the proximity of the facility to an airport and the proximity of the institution to the vendor.
• The receiving staff should observe and record the condition of the transport containers and the transportation vehicle, comparing labels and contents to ensure they match the order specifications.
• Once a shipment is signed for, the animals are moved to a designated room to receive new animals, and the outside of the transport container should be disinfected before removing the animals.
• Animals should be examined for signs of pain or distress, sickness, or aggressiveness, noting any abnormalities in breathing or movement.
• Large animals require a physical or preliminary examination by the veterinary staff, and individual identification is necessary for proper record-keeping.

Quarantine, Acclimation, and Conditioning of Newly Acquired Animals in Research Facilities

• Newly acquired animals are isolated from in-house colonies for a period of time to prevent the introduction of foreign pathogens, a process known as quarantine.
• Reasons for quarantine include evaluation of the health of new arrivals, prevention of disease transmission, recovery from transportation stress, adjustment to new surroundings, baseline data collection, vaccination/treatment/deworming, and application of tattoos/microchips.
• Animals of known health status from approved vendors may not require quarantine, but the veterinary staff determines the need and length of quarantine based on species, vendor record, and regulations.
• Animal care staff must complete daily records to document observations and assessments performed according to the facility’s SOP for quarantined animals.
• Health documents accompanying animal shipments do not exempt animals from quarantine as they may have been exposed to infectious agents during transit.
• Newly received animals are quarantined long enough for pathogen exposure to register on test results before being retested and released.
• Quarantine rooms are maintained under negative air pressure to minimize the chance of microorganism transmission.
• SOPs should be followed, including clothing changes and correct use of PPE, to avoid disease transmission between animals in colonies and quarantine.
• Acclimation allows animals to recover from transportation stress and adjust to environmental conditions before use in a study, minimizing stress during experimentation.
• Stressed animals may secrete higher than normal levels of certain hormones, which could cause errors in research results.
• Most facilities restrict access and limit research activities on animals during quarantine, acclimation, or conditioning periods.
• Conditioning involves providing extra resources to return animals to a physiological normal baseline status, such as treatments for parasites and high-energy diets, and typically takes place during acclimation and quarantine periods. NHPs require at least 14 days for acclimation and conditioning.