Health Monitoring Procedures

Brief description of housing system, health monitoring program and health status of the EMMA SPF live colonies.

Type of facility

Animals distributed by EMMA are bred in SPF (Specific Pathogen Free) barriered facilities in which all materials are sterilized before entry. Staff entering the barriered areas must shower and change into clean unit clothing. When appropriate, staff working within the units is also required to wear gloves, face masks, mob caps and over shoes.

Housing system

Animals are maintained in either flexible film isolators or IVCs (Individually Ventilated Cages) or in conventional cages in barriered areas under positive pressure and are given autoclaved bedding, autoclaved or irradiated food and filtered or chlorinated water. Animals reared in IVCs are cage changed under laminar flow hoods.

Sentinel programme

The health status of each animal room is monitored on a regular basis e.g. four times per year when mice are reared in IVCs or monthly when mice are bred in conventional cages in barriered areas. These screening progammes involve exposing sentinel animals to dirty bedding collected from other IVCs within the mouse room. Some colonies e.g. those reared in isolators are sampled directly.

Health report

Before receiving any mice from EMMA you will be sent a recent (< three months old) health report prepared in accordance with the FELASA recommendations. This health report will give details of the agents tested, the number of animals tested and the analytical methods used.
Sample health reports from each of EMMA’s archiving / distribution centres can be downloaded below. If you require any further information please contact the archiving / distribution centre handling your request.

Sample health reports

Note that these are sample health reports and not current reports. Current reports will be provided upon request. Additional specific health checks (beyond tests recommended by FELASA) are possible if required for importation but will then be charged to the customer.

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