Quarantine

LAMS offers three quarantine rooms.  Rooms R406 at MSB and D-002 at GRI are two of the quarantine rooms that are used for incoming animals from non-approved/non-commercial vendors.  Room G-30 at HPB is for "dirty animals."  These rooms are entered last during the day.  A wet shower must be taken prior to re-entering any other animal rooms. 

Facility Entry Sequence

Long Term Quarantine: 

Long term quarantine is a period of approximately eight weeks in which LAMS sentinels are placed with the colony and exposed to potential pathogens via bedding transfers.  At the end of six weeks, the sentinels are processed; serology and pathology are performed.  During this time, the colony is tested for internal and external parasites.  Mandatory long term quarantine applies to breeders and new animals that are housed in the animal facilities.  During the quarantine period, the PI can breed, genotype, examine and perform a blood draw but no experimentation.  Breeding between new arrivals and existing colony members must start prior to the first bedding transfer or during the first week after arrival. 

 Short Term Quarantine:

Short term quarantine is a period of approximately ten days in which the cohort sentinels are processed and the colony is tested for internal and external parasites.  Once test results are reviewed, the animals are released from quarantine to be euthanized in the laboratory or procedure room.  The animals never return to the housing facility.

In order to qualify for short term quarantine, cohort sentinels must accompany the mouse colony from the sending institution. The sentinels are for LAMS veterinary staff to process and perform serology. When the shipment arrives, investigators must isolate and clearly identify the cohort sentinel(s).   

 HPB “Dirty” Quarantine:

This is the quarantine room located in the Health Professionals Building.  It is used as temporary housing for rederiving mice that are infected with specific pathogens.  Sentinel cohorts are not needed.  Mice coming to this room must have a current health report and be approved by a LAMS veterinarian.