Lab animal disease and regulations

when is a procedure regulated?

if it is carried out on a protected animal and may cause a level of pain, suffering or distress equivalent to or higher than inserting a hypodermic needle - includes diet restriction

what animals are protected?

• all living vertebrates other than man

• any living cephalopods

• some immature forms

what are the two thresholds of pain?

lower = hypodermic needle

higher = surgery under general anaesthetic

what do the licences granted by the home office apply to?

place, project and person

what does a procedures does the procedure establishment licence authorise?

• performing procedures

• scientific procedure establishments

• breeding protected animals

• breeding establishments

• keeping and supplying protected animals

• supplying establishments

The establishment where procedures are carried out need to meet which criteria?

• space, air change, management, cage/pen/stable size

• must have suitably trained staff

what are the trained personnel?

• named person responsible for compliance

• named veterinary surgeon

• named animal care and welfare officer

• named training and competency officer

• named information officer

where does ASPA apply?

• university or research institute

• small animal rodent facility

• large units like a dairy farm

what does the project procedure licence state?

• objectives

• species and number of animals

• describes experiments and procedures

• defines overall severity of procedures

• must present a cost-benefit analysis

what does the procedure individual licence cover?

species, techniques and competence

what level of education/training does a procedure individual licence require?

• at least 5 GCSEs including biology or equivalent vocational qualifications

• home office training modules 1-4

what are the PIL categories?

A = minor/minimally invasive procedures not requiring sedation, analgesia or general anaesthesia

B = minor invasive procedures involving sedation, analgesia or brief general anaesthesia and surgical procedures conducted under brief terminal general anaesthesia

C = surgical procedures involving general anaesthesia

D = use of neuromuscular blocking agents

E = education/training under specific PPL

F = other

what does the home office training PIL AB modules 1-3 cover?

• ethical use of animals

• recognition of well-being, pain, suffering or distress

• practical handling and restraint

• humane methods of killing

• anaesthesia

• conduct of minor procedures

what does PIL C module 4 cover?

• advanced anaesthesia

• analgesia

• conduct of surgical procedures

• pre, peri and post operative care

• people must do A and B not just A

what is schedule 1 register?

• allows individuals to kill listed species in an appropriate manner

• primarily for the purpose of collecting tissue for experimental use

what are the different methods of killing?

• all animals = anaesthetic overdose

• carbon dioxide gas

• dislocation of the neck

• concussion of the brain by striking the cranium

what are the three common causes of disease in lab animals?

• infection

• behavioural

• nutritional

what are the housing requirements for lab animals?

• mice in groups of up to 3 females

• rabbits/rats in pairs

• can’t have mixed groups

• environmental enrichment - toilet roll tubes even in research areas

what can stress cause in lab animals?

can cause over grooming and hair falls out

what is the light and dark requirement for mice/rats?

14 hours light and 10 hours dark or 12/12

what are the importance of light/dark cycles in lab animals?

major effects on mating, memory and interactions

what are other environmental considerations in lab animals?

• temperature

• noise

• humidity

• handling

what infectious diseases can mice get?

• pinworms

• mouse hepatitis virus

• murine norovirus

• mites

• staphylococcal dermatitis

what are pinworms?

nematodes of the GI tract, which cause poor growth rate to rectal prolapse

what is mouse hepatitis virus?

asymptomatic in healthy mice but can affect immune system potentially affecting the outcome of experiments

what are mites?

self-wounding, hair loss, secondary infection through open wounds

what infectious diseases can rats get?

• pinworms and mites

• rat coronavirus

• pneumocystis

what is rat coronavirus?

respiratory challenge and swelling of mucous membranes

what is pneumocystis?

fungal infection of the respiratory tract, becoming systemic, weight loss to death and major problem in immunocompromised animals

what infectious diseases can rabbits get?

• pasteurella multocida

• Psoroptes cuniculi

• staphylococcus aureus

what is pasteurella multocida?

respiratory infection going systemic if undetected or untreated in rabbits

what is psoroptes cuniculi?

ear mites

how does quarantine work to prevent spread of infectious diseases?

• isolate new animals 1-4 weeks and then health screen

• breed and move young into main unit at 2-6 weeks

how does re-derive help prevent the spread of infectious diseases?

stimulate ovulation, mate, harvest embryos and implant into healthy recipients in main unit

what are the ways to prevent infectious diseases?

• quarantine

• re-derive

• sterilise bedding and environment

• PPE

• individually ventilated cages

what are sentinel animals?

• not involved in experiments

• used to monitor outbreak of diseases

• routinely monitored

• pathogen screening

• culled at regular intervals 2-4 weeks

what is the protocol with infectious disease outbreak?

• antibiotic treatment

• sterilise all units with cage washer

• must remove animal early from study to not affect results

why is antibiotic treatment not preferred?

can interfere with immune response in experiment

what nutritional factors need to be considered with diseases?

• alter diet supplement with minerals after trace element analysis

• test the water

• maintain ab lib access

• don’t want the animals over or under weight

what happens when an animal is found in ill health?

• animals found dead or ill are physically examined by NACWO or NVS

• ill animals are culled by schedule 1 and a post mortem examination performed

• blood collected

• tissues/rectal material for microbiological screening

• need to know if the study has caused the death or if it is other diseases

what are the 3 Rs?

• replacement = avoid use of animals

• reduction = minimise the number of animals used

• refinement = minimise animal suffering

under ASPA how are cages labelled?

• the project licence number

• the protocol

• the date the protocol started

• the responsible personal licensee