title: Health surveillance of specific pathogen-free and conventionally-housed mice and rats in Korea.
abstract: The present study contains information about proper microbiological monitoring of laboratory animals' health and the standardization of microbiological monitoring methods in Korea. Microbiological quality control for laboratory animals, composed of biosecurity and health surveillance, is essential to guard against research complications and public health dangers that have been associated with adventitious infections. In this study, one hundred and twenty-two mice and ninety rats from laboratory animal breeding companies and one animal facility of the national universities in Korea were monitored in 2000-2003. Histopathologically, thickening of the alveolar walls and lymphocytic infiltration around the bronchioles were observed in mice and rats from microbiologically contaminated facilities. Cryptosporidial oocysts were observed in the gastric pits of only conventionally-housed mice and rats. Helicobacter spp. infection was also detected in 1 of 24 feces DNA samples in mice and 9 of 40 feces DNA samples in rats by PCR in 2003, but they were not Helicobacter hepaticus. This paper describes bacteriological, parasitological, and virological examinations of the animals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine and School of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Korea.
authors.forename: Seunghyeok
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Seok
authors.forename: Jonghwan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Suna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Minwon
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baek
authors.forename: Huiyoung
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Dongjae
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Kihwa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Dongdeuk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.forename: Beomseok
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Kitaek
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nam
authors.forename: Jaehak
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000830:Animals, Laboratory / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000821:virology; D003458:Cryptosporidium / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D016998:Helicobacter / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006799:Housing, Animal; D007723:Korea; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000821:virology; D006517:Murine hepatitis virus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D009174:Mycoplasma / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011790:Quarantine / Q000592:standards; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000821:virology; D029082:Sendai virus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013047:Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms