title: Investigation of appropriate sanitization frequency for rodent caging accessories: evidence supporting less-frequent cleaning.
abstract: The Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals states that sanitization of caging accessories (for example, filter tops and wire-bar lids) should be done every 2 wk. In this study we tested the hypothesis that organic contamination measured by the presence of ATP associated with organic material (measured with luciferase test swabs) and the number of bacterial colony-forming units (as determined by use of replicate organism detection and counting plates) on caging accessories did not differ significantly at 2 wk versus several months of use. The study evaluated 4 groups: mouse and rat ventilated and static wire-bar cages with or without filter tops (n = 10 per group). The cages were evaluated at several time points from 2 wk to 6 mo. For every cage type, ATP levels did not differ significantly between 14 and 90 d and, in most cases, between 14 and 180 d. In addition the number of bacterial colonies did not differ significantly between 14 and 120 d (and, in some cases, between 14 and 180 d). This study provides data relevant to establishing a validated frequency for sanitization of rodent caging accessories while controlling, and potentially decreasing, costs associated with sanitization.
authors.affiliation: Division of Animal Resources, Whitehead Biomedical Research Building, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. schondelmeyer1@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Curtis W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Schondelmeyer
authors.forename: Dirck L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Dillehay
authors.forename: Sonji K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Webb
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Huerkamp
authors.forename: Deborah M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Mook
authors.forename: Jennifer K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Pullium
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D006799:Housing, Animal / Q000145:classification / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards*; D007756:Laboratory Animal Science / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D051379:Mice; D051381:Rats