Rationale:
Pathogens diminish the quality of life for rodents by causing disease and discomfort.  Pathogens can also interfere with scientific results.  Maintaining specific pathogen free (SPF) rodent colonies is essential for animal health and the continued integrity and quality of scientific research conducted at UT Southwestern.

Policy:
To decrease the chance of introducing rodent pathogens into UT Southwestern rodent colonies from serum, tumors, and cell lines, and to reduce the risk of introducing zoonotic agent(s) to personnel from serum, tumor, and cell lines, these materials must be screened before use (e.g. injection or implantation) in UT Southwestern rodents.

Applicability:

 Materials to be tested include:

• Any serum, tumor or cell line that originated from mice or rats.
• Any serum, tumor or cell line that originated from humans but was then passed through mice /rats.
• Any serum, tumor or cell line that has been passed through UT Southwestern rodents in any areas outside of NG or the Y2 barrier, and that will be introduced by injection/implantation into mice or rats in the NG building or the Y2 barrier.  Note: this means re-testing is required even if cells were tested prior to passing through rodents.
•  Any serum, tumor or cell line that has not been tested for pathogens in the past five years.
• Any serum, tumor or cell line not already used in rodents at UT Southwestern.

Materials that do not need to be tested include:

• Any serum, tumor or cell line determined by the IACUC in a convened meeting to be exempt from this policy.
• Any serum, tumor or cell line that has not been passed through mice /rats.

Instructions:
Serum, tumor or cell lines must be screened either by PCR, a Mouse Antibody Production Test (MAP) or a Rat Antibody Production Test (RAP).  The investigator must have the biologicals MAP, RAP or PCR tested for the pathogens identified below before the IACUC will approve a protocol using them in rodents.  Evidence of testing must be provided to the IACUC at the time of initial protocol review or with a request for amendment of an approved protocol (if adding a new cell line after a protocol already has begun).  The IACUC office will route the documentation to an ARC veterinarian for review and will obtain veterinary permission before protocol approval (or approval of an amendment) will be given.

Note:  It is best practice to test lines that have been passed through animals right away in order to avoid passing infected cells into other animals.

Mouse

Standard testing includes the following agents: Minute virus of mice, Mouse parvovirus, Pneumonia virus of mice , Reovirus 3, Mouse hepatitis virus, Mouse rotavirus, Theiler’s murine encephalomyelitis virus (GD7), Sendai virus, Mycoplasma spp, Polyoma virus, K virus, Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV), Ectromelia virus, Lactate dehydrogenase-elevating virus, Mouse adenovirus.  At the discretion of the ARC veterinarians, you may also be asked to test for Mouse cytomegalovirus, Mouse thymic virus, and Hanta virus.

Rat

Standard testing includes the following agents: Rat parvovirus, Pneumonia virus of mice (PVM), Reovirus3, Sialodacryoadenititis virus , Kilham’s rat virus, Toolan’s H1 virus, Theiler’s murine encephalomyelitis like virus (GDVII/rat cardiovirus), Sendai virus, Mycoplasma spp, Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV), Hantavirus Seoul, Rat coronovirus, Rat minute virus (RMV), Mouse adenovirus (MAV).  At the discretion of the ARC veterinarians, you may also be asked to test for Rat cytomegalovirus.

Vendors

The following companies currently perform PCR, MAP or RAP testing.

Exceptions:
Exceptions to this policy may be granted by the IACUC.

Contact Information:
For any additional questions, please contact the IACUC Manager at x 5-6420 or consult with an ARC veterinarian.