Evaluation of a forced-air-ventilated micro-isolation system for protection of mice against Pasteurella pneumotropica.
Studies to date have established that the physical environment inside cages can be controlled adequately by setting the intra-cage ventilation at 60 air changes per hour in a forced-air-ventilated micro-isolation system (FVMIS). In this study, the capability of FVMIS to prevent inter-cage transmission of microorganisms was evaluated using Pasteurella pneumotropica as a reference microorganism. One FVMIS rack and a conventional rack were used, and cages with mice positive for P. pneumotropica and those with P. pneumotropica-free mice were housed on both racks. The mice were examined for P. pneumotropica contamination every 4 weeks after initiating the experiment for 12 weeks using a polymerase chain reaction method. Some P. pneumotropica-free mice housed in open air cages in the conventional rack became positive for P. pneumotropica (four of 28 animals after 4 weeks; eight of 28 animals after 12 weeks), but all P. pneumotropica-free mice housed in the FVMIS cages remained negative for the bacterium throughout the experiment. The results demonstrate that FVMIS can prevent inter-cage transmission of P. pneumotropica when proper cage handling practice is under taken.
Hasegawa
Masakazu
M
Technical Research Laboratory, Dai-Dan Co., Ltd., 390 Kitanagai, Miyoshi-machi, Iruma-gun, Saitama 354-00440, Japan.
Kagiyama
Soichiro
S
Tajima
Masaru
M
Yoshida
Kazuya
K
Minami
Yayoi
Y
Kurosawa
Tsutomu
T
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers; D005260:Female; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D010325:Pasteurella / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D014691:Ventilation
D017931:DNA Primers