Overview
Mouse colonies are in a regular disease surveillance program in which one or more mice per rack are submitted quarterly for health assessment. Generally, dedicated sentinels exposed to soiled bedding are used, but representative animals from specific colonies may also be used for health surveillance. To ensure pathogen-free status of dedicated sentinels on arrival, Emory has contracted with an approved vendor to have litters reared in isolators, with the dams submitted for full health assessment prior to shipment of the weaned pups. Sentinel mice are then deployed at 4-6 weeks of age, remain ‘active’ for 3 months, and are then replaced and held for 6 weeks for seroconversion before being submitted for testing.
Mice acquired for research purposes at Emory University must meet defined health standards and those from non-conventional sources are subjected to rigorous health assessment and quarantine practices. A detailed description of the quarantine program can be found at: Rodent Quarantine Program
Our Animal Care and Use Committee requires that tumors, tissues and biologicals inoculated into live rodents be shown to be pathogen-free using PCR technology.
Health Assessments
The minimum assessment consists of serology for Mycoplasma pulmonis, Mouse Hepatitis Virus, Sendai virus, MPV-1, MPV-2, NS-1 (Murine Parvoviruses), TMEV (Theiler’s Murine Encephalomyelitis Virus), PVM (Pneumonia Virus of Mice), MVM (Minute Virus of mice), MNV(Mouse Norovirus), Mouse Rotavirus (EDIM), Reovirus-3 and examinations to rule-out ectoparasites and helminths. MCMV is added at specific facilities only and Ectromelia serology is performed every 6 months. The panel is expanded once yearly to include LCMV (Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus), K virus, Polyoma virus, and Mouse Adenovirus. The sentinel program is supported by a necropsy program for rodent clinical cases. There were 327 clinical and diagnostic rodent necropsies done during fiscal year 2006-2007. Other than assessments done in conjunction with clinical cases, bacteriology is not a component of routine health surveillance.
Emory University colonies are not regularly screened for, but are believed to be free of the following pathogens: Mouse thymic virus (MTV, MTLV), Lactate dehydrogenase-elevating virus (LDEV), Bordetella bronchiseptica, CAR Bacillus, Hantavirus, Corynebacterium kutscheri, Streptobacillus moniliformis , Salmonella, Citrobacter rodenticum, and pathogenic streptococci.
Mice from Emory University are potentially colonized with the following organisms: Helicobacter hepaticus, H. muridarum, H. bilis, Pasteurella pneumotropica, Proteus spp, staphylococci, and fecal coliforms and enterococci.
All DAR-managed mouse colonies are now declared to have high level epizootic murine norovirus (MNV) and low level enzootic mouse parvovirus (MPV) infections. Where MPV-free and MNV-free colonies are required, PIs are encouraged to work with the DAR to develop rederived stock and bio-secured (sterile housing, controlled access, etc.) mouse rooms.
Colony Practices
Rodent housing rooms, except under special conditions, are under negative relative air pressure with respect to adjacent corridors. Mice are housed either in static microisolator cages or in ventilated caging systems. Cages, food, water and bedding for immunocompetent mice typically are not autoclaved prior to use, but cages are sanitized at 180°F. Cages are opened only in a Class IIA laminar air flow biosafety cabinets and personnel entering rooms must wear dedicated gowns and latex gloves when handling mice and use disinfectant with a parvovirus label claim.
