Animal Health Monitoring in the GEM Facility
Our GEM Facility sentinel program helps us monitor the presence of undesirable pathogens in the animals under our care. This entails maintaining a cage of 2 sentinel immunocompetent mice for each side of an individually ventilated rack per room, or one cage per room of static cage housed animals such as out rats. The animals are exposed to dirty bedding from animals within the room and the filter for each cage is removed so exposure to the aerosolized pathogens within the room is also achieved. The sentinel animals are euthanized every 3-4 months and serology and parasitology is done with histology, bacteriology and gross necrospy being done every 6-12 months.
Serology is sent out to MU-RADIL, while parasitology (ecto and endo) is done in house.
Pathogens Tested:
- Sendai
- PVM
- MHV
- MVM
- GD VII
- ECUN
- REO-3
- MPV
- M.Pul
- MAD
- POLY
- CARD
- K Virus
- MCMV
- LCMV
- HANT
- ECTRO
- EDIM