Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, 63526Cairo University, Giza, Egypt.
Department of Animals, Science and Society, Faculty of Veterinary, 8125Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Altern Lab Anim. 2021 Jan-Mar;49(1-2):49-55. doi: 10.1177/02611929211016851. Epub 2021 May 13.
Cairo University was the first academic institution in Egypt to establish an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), as mandated by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). Animal-based research should be performed in accordance with international regulations to monitor the humane care and use of the laboratory animals. Until 2018, the formal training of researchers in the appropriate and correct methods of animal handling during sampling and administration, as well as their husbandry demands, was an uncommon practice in Egypt. In 2018, the Egyptian Association for Animal Research Advancement (EAARA) organised the first international course in laboratory animal science (LAS), in collaboration with Utrecht University (The Netherlands) and the Faculty of Science, Cairo University, to raise researchers' awareness and increase their knowledge of the principles that govern the humane use and care of laboratory animals. A total of 26 researchers from a number of fields (veterinary medicine, dentistry, science, medicine, pharmacy and agriculture) enrolled in the course. In the responses to the post-course questionnaire, 24 (92.3%) participants stated that the principles of animal welfare (Three Rs) were well explained. In addition, 18 (69%) participants found that the course improved their skills in animal sampling and handling. Of the 26 participants, 22 (84.6%) became aware of their responsibility towards their experimental animals and agreed that the different methods of euthanasia were well explained. In conclusion, the general assessment of the course revealed a positive outcome regarding the culture of animal care; the course was repeated a year later, and several participants were enlisted as trainers in this second course.
开罗大学是埃及第一所按照世界动物卫生组织（OIE）的要求设立机构动物护理和使用委员会（IACUC）的学术机构。动物为基础的研究应按照国际规定进行，以监测实验室动物的人道护理和使用。直到 2018 年，在埃及，研究人员在采样和管理过程中适当和正确地处理动物以及满足其饲养需求方面接受正式培训的做法还不常见。2018 年，埃及动物研究促进会（EAARA）与乌得勒支大学（荷兰）和开罗大学科学学院合作，举办了第一届实验室动物科学（LAS）国际课程，旨在提高研究人员对管理实验室动物人道使用和护理的原则的认识并增加他们的相关知识。共有来自多个领域（兽医、牙科、科学、医学、药学和农业）的 26 名研究人员参加了该课程。在课程结束后的问卷调查中，24 名（92.3%）参与者表示动物福利（3R）原则解释得很好。此外，18 名（69%）参与者认为该课程提高了他们的动物采样和处理技能。在 26 名参与者中，有 22 名（84.6%）人意识到他们对实验动物的责任，并同意对不同的安乐死方法进行了很好的解释。总之，对课程的总体评估显示出对动物护理文化的积极影响；一年后又重复了该课程，并招募了几名参与者作为该第二期课程的培训师。
