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DISEASES AND PEST OF LABORATORY ANIMALS:
Diarrhea due to Salmonella typhimurium is a common natural disease of rabbits, guinea pigs and mice. Coccidiosis (Protozoan disease) and pseudo tuberculosis (caused by Yersinia pseudo tuberculosis) are also common natural disease of animals.
Diseases of mice include Mouse typhoid (caused by S. typhimurium, S. enteritidis) may be responsible for severe epizootics. Other diseases include Ectromelia (mouse pox, caused by a pox virus related to the vaccinia virus), Streptobacillus moniliformis, infection, viral infections and Taenia taeniaeformis infection (large cysts in liver).
Rabbits are mostly affected by Coccidiosis (diarrhea), pseudo tuberculosis (caseous lymph nodes) and Taenia pisiformis (numerous cysts in omentum).
The guineapigs are affected by protozoan diseases (coccidiosis toxoplasmosis), pseudo tuberculosis, S. typhimurium, abscess in lymph node (Streptococcus group C), hemorrhagic septicaemia (P. multocida) and viral pneumonia and paralysis
Hamsters are affected by: Streptococcal and staphylococcal infections, distemper (virus) and foot rot (caused by mites).
Fowls are Salmonellae of various types (e.g. S. typhimurium causing diarrhoea), S. pullorum (outbreak of typhoid), coccidiosis, avian leucosis (involving lymph node and bone marrow), parasitic infections due to lice and mite, virus diseases (infectious laryngotracheitis, fowl pest due to Newcastle virus).
Detection of disease in animals:
A routine tour of inspection of the animals should be made at least once a day with attention to the general condition of animals, amounts of food and water consumed and the nature of faeces. Any quiet and still animal or that showing signs of bleeding, diarrhea, running nose, abnormal fur etc. may be separated and investigated for the cause of disease.
Prevention of disease:
Disease outbreak is minimized in clean healthy cages but in case of disease outbreak, only experts should be allowed to diagnose and treat the diseased animals, sick and diseased animals should be culled, isolated and humanely killed and the cages sterilized. Laboratory animals should be obtained from accredited suppliers to avoid chances and risks introducing epidemics in the cages.
(i) Newly arrived animals to be kept in a special quarantine room and kept under observation for 10-14 days. Animals falling sick during the period should be kept in quarantine and necropsis must be done for finding out the cause of the illness.
(ii) Animal infected experimentally with bacteria or viruses should be kept in separate isolation rooms to prevent spread of infection to other animals.
INSECT PEST
A laboratory animal facility is an active place, with frequent movement of personnel, animals, equipment, containers, and food and bedding, creating ideal conditions for the introduction of pests, including arthropods, birds and wild rodents.
Pest control programs are complicated by the potential for harm to animals and personnel, as well as interference with research data by many commonly used pesticides.
A regularly scheduled, documented pest control and monitoring program should be implemented, which effectively combines elimination of all entry and harborage sites with good waste disposal and personnel training.
Bed bugs, fleas, lice, mites, ticks, flies, mosquitoes and cockroaches may all infest the animal house. 0.5% insecticidal sprays or 10% DDT can control these.