Animal Care and Shipping
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Minimum testing required of mice received from other institutions
While each of the four institutions may require additional testing for mice received into their labs, below is an agreed upon list of the minimum testing that will be required prior to shipping. A health certificate, no older than 3 months, must be faxed/shipped to the receiving institution. This certificate must be received and reviewed before approval will be given to ship.
  • Cilia-associated respiratory bacillus
  • Clostridium piliforme (Tyzzer's disease)
  • Ectromelia
  • Lymphocytic choriomenengitis virus
  • Mouse adenoviruses
  • Mouse hepatitis virus
  • Mouse parvoviruses
  • Mouse rotavirus
  • Mycoplasma pulmonis
  • Pneumonia virus of mice
  • Reovirus
  • Sendai virus
  • Theiler's virus (GD-7)
  • Fur mites
  • Pinworms

At this time, Vanderbilt routinely uses Fenbendazole medicated feed for four weeks and treats with Ivermectin as soon as the animals arrive. This center will continue to automatically treat their incoming animals. University of Cincinnati, Yale, and UT Southwestern will not treat unless testing indicates it is necessary.
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Quarantine Testing
Below is an agreed upon list of tests to be performed while the mice are in quarantine. While each center will have additional tests that may vary, this is a list of the minimum testing to be performed for this program. As standard procedure, testing of incoming animals will include the storage of an aliquot of serum for retesting at a different lab in the case of positive test results. All researchers sending animals from a non-commercial source should attempt to send two additional animals, one to be tested upon arrival and the second to be tested in 3-4 weeks.

  • Serology:
    • Cilia-associated respiratory bacillus
    • Clostridium piliforme (Tyzzer's disease)
    • Ectromelia
    • Lymphocytic choriomenengitis virus
    • Mouse adenoviruses
    • Mouse cytomegalovirus
    • Mouse hepatitis virus
    • Mouse parvoviruses
    • Mouse rotavirus
    • Mouse thymic virus
    • Mycoplasma pulmonis
    • Pneumonia virus of mice
    • Reovirus
    • Sendai virus
    • Theiler's virus (GD-7)

  • Subgross examination of the pelt:
    • Fur Mites

  • Subgross examination of the cecal and colon contents:
    • Pinworms
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Length of quarantine time for animals
Three to four weeks is the minimum amount of time required to release the animals into regular colonies. A one-week minimum period is appropriate for animals to recover from the stress of traveling and new environment prior to phenotyping. Vanderbilt does not allow researchers access to their animals before the 6-9 week quarantine period. After that time, they can remove the animals for terminal procedures only. UT Southwestern will not allow animals to leave quarantine before 8 weeks, but the researchers will be allowed access to them after the 3-4 week quarantine period. University of Cincinnati and Yale University will allow researchers access to the animals during the 3-4 week minimum quarantine, but the animals cannot be taken out of the facility except for terminal procedures.
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Cages

  • Bedding:
    • Bed-O-Cob bedding will be used, changed every two weeks.

  • Ventilation:
    • Ventilated cages will be used.

  • Watering Systems:
    • Not standardized.

  • Cage Capacity:
    • Female: maximum 5/cage & minimum 2/cage
    • Male: maximum 2/cage (monitor for signs of stress)

  • Diet:
    • Harland Teklad irradiated chow will be used at all centers. The product code is #7912, Tekland LM-485 Mouse/Rat Sterilizable Diet. In the cases of feeding studies, a semi-purified diet with defined composition will be used instead of the chow.
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Shipping

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Release of Protocol Information
All animal care protocols developed during the planning of this project will be shared with NIH.

  • Required Approvals:
    • All phenotyping tests carried out at the Centers must be done using protocols that have been previously approved by the University IACUC.

  • Current Center Capacities:
    • University of Cincinnati Medical Center: 1,000 cages
    • University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center: 40 cages (anticipates increase)
    • Vanderbilt University Medical Center: 120 cages
    • Yale University School of Medicine: 120 cages (anticipates increase)
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Committee on Animal Husbandry Issues

  • Shawn Burgess, Ph.D. UT Southwestern
  • Greg Hanley, DVM, Ph.D. Dipl. ACLAM Vanderbilt University
  • Phil Howles, Ph.D. University of Cincinnati
  • Todd Jackson, DVM, Dipl. ACLAM University of Cincinnati
  • Robert Jacoby, DVM, Ph.D. Yale University
  • James Macy, DVM, Dipl. ACLAM Yale University (11/02/01 meeting only)
  • Patrick Tso, Ph.D. University of Cincinnati
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