Control of microbial contamination in the use of laboratory rodents.

Historically, laboratory rodents have been used in preference to other animal species for biomedical research. Study disruptions and invalidations often have occurred due to microbial contaminants inherent to laboratory rodents. Today, many commercial suppliers and research institutions are controlling a variety of infectious diseases among laboratory rodents by careful design of animal facilities, by adaptation of managerial techniques employing precise operational policies coupled with careful supervision and attention to detail and the use of various diagnostic programs. The continued evolution of epidemiological practices, environment control systems, sophistication of barrier-sustained operations, preventative medicine and sanitation techniques, complemented by an improvement in veterinary diagnostic programs for disease surveillance further minimize microbial contamination of laboratory rodents. Such measures contribute to the fulfillment of various legislative requirements concerned with the quality of animals for biomedical research.