Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals - Office of ...

110 GUIdE FOR ThE CARE ANd USE OF LAbORATORy ANIMALSintroduced infectious agents. Related components include procedures forevaluating and selecting appropriate animal suppliers (these may includequarantine and determination of animal health status if unknown); treatmentof animals or their products at entry to minimize disease risks (e.g.,surface disinfection of fish eggs); a comprehensive pest control program thatmay include evaluation of the health status of feral animals; procedures toensure that all biologics administered to animals are free of contamination;and procedures for intra- and interfacility animal transport (e.g., transportof animals to laboratory and other facilities outside the animal facility canpresent challenges to animal biosecurity) (Balaban and Hampshire 2001).Additional details pertaining to these topics are available in the sections ofChapter 2 that deal with occupational health and safety.Quarantine and StabilizationQuarantine is the separation of newly received animals from thosealready in the facility, in a way that prevents potential spread of contaminants,until the health and possibly the microbial status of the newlyreceived animals have been determined. Transportation can be stressfuland may induce recrudescence of subclinical infections harbored by ananimal.An effective quarantine program minimizes the risk of introduction ofpathogens into an established colony. The veterinary medical staff shouldimplement procedures for evaluating the health and, if appropriate, thepathogen status of newly received animals, and the procedures shouldreflect acceptable veterinary medical practice and federal and state regulationsapplicable to zoonoses (Butler et al. 1995). Effective quarantineprocedures are particularly helpful in limiting human exposure to zoonoticinfections from nonhuman primates, such as mycobacterial infections,which necessitate specific guidelines for handling of these animals (Lercheet al. 2008; Roberts and Andrews 2008).Information from suppliers about animal quality should be sufficientto enable a veterinarian to establish the length of quarantine, define thepotential risks to personnel and animals in the colony, determine whethertherapy is required before animals are released from quarantine, and, inthe case of rodents, determine whether rederivation (cesarean or embryotransfer) is necessary to free the animals of specific pathogens. Rodents maynot require quarantine if data from the vendor or provider are sufficientlycurrent, complete, and reliable to define the health status of the incominganimals and if the potential for exposure to pathogens during transit is considered.When quarantine is indicated, animals from one shipment shouldbe handled separately or be physically separated from animals from othershipments to preclude transfer of infectious agents between groups.