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Maus-Monitoring
Relevance:
The microbiological status of laboratory animals is not only decisive for their own well-being but it also affects the validity and reproducibility of research data. For this reason regular health monitoring in experimental animals is of major importance. For the monitoring of the microbiological status of laboratory animals the guidelines of the Federation of European Laboratory Animal Science Associations (FELASA), for instance, recommend regular tests for various bacteria, viruses and parasites. Certain parameters should be investigated every three or twelve months at random.
The recommendations for the quarterly serological investigation of mice include the following pathogens: mouse hepatitis virus, mouse rotavirus, murine norovirus, minute virus of mice, Theiler’s murine encephalomyelitis virus, Helicobacter and Streptococcus pneumoniae. The annual monitoring includes the following pathogens: mouse adenovirus, reovirus, mousepox virus, lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus, Clostridium piliforme and Mycoplasma pulmonis.
Diagnostics:
For routine detection of antibodies against viruses or bacteria various serological methods are suited as screening tests, such as ELISA and indirect immunofluorescence test (IIFT). Blot systems and PCR methods, on the other hand, are better suited for the confirmation of screening test results. Since many pathogens need to be investigated, the monitoring process is often time-consuming and many single tests need to be performed. The development of BIOCHIP Mosaics allows parallel investigation of several infectious parameters in one incubation, thus enabling efficient health monitoring of a large animal stock.
Each BIOCHIP is coated with one cell line infected with a specific virus type. The virus types used in the Mouse Monitoring Mosaic 1 (small) are as follows: mouse hepatitis virus (MHV), mouse rotavirus (EDIM), murine norovirus (MNV), minute virus of mice (MVM) and Theiler’s murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV). Owing to the combination of IIFT substrates as BIOCHIP Mosaics it is possible to investigate ten samples simultaneously for five different virus types on a single slide.
| Method | Substrate | Diagnostic application | Order number |
|---|---|---|---|
IIFT | Virus-infected cells (MHV, | IgG IIFT; BIOCHIP Mosaic for parallel detection of 5 murine virus types; simple and cost-effective health monitoring of laboratory animals according to generally accepted guidelines | FI 2603-1010-1 GM |
1 Further substrates for the health monitoring of laboratory mice are available and can be used in customerspecific mosaics (e.g. Sendai virus, pneumonia virus of mice, Mycoplasma pulmonis, hantavirus, mousepox virus, reovirus, etc.).