title: Successful rederivation of contaminated immunocompetent mice using neonatal transfer with iodine immersion.
abstract: There is an ongoing need to eradicate intercurrent disease from research mouse colonies. Commonly used surgical methods, however, are expensive and time-consuming. The purpose of this study was to determine the percentage of litters that could be rederived from infected mouse colonies by neonatal transfer. We immersed neonatal mice in a dilute iodine solution and transferred them to disease-free foster mothers within 48 h of birth. Donor and foster mothers were evaluated for pathogens by serology and fecal polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. Of 55 donor mothers, 100% were positive serologically and 59% were positive by fecal PCR for one or more tested organisms, including mouse hepatitis virus, Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus, mouse rotavirus, and Helicobacter hepaticus. At 4 to 6 weeks after neonatal transfer, 95% of foster mothers (which served as sentinels for the transferred pups) tested free of pathogens, the exceptions being one case of mouse parvovirus 1 and two of Helicobacter spp. We suggest that cross-fostering is a viable low-cost method for rederivation of mouse colonies contaminated with pathogens such as mouse hepatitis virus, Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus, mouse rotavirus, and H. hepaticus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Comparative Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Watson
authors.forename: Keyata N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: Sanford H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Feldman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001483:Base Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers; D018562:Disease Transmission, Infectious / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D007121:Immunocompetence; D007455:Iodine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000821:virology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D007455:Iodine