Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
a pathologist is not available then a trained veterinarian
should perform the necropsy. Because of the risk of zoo-
notic exposure by the aerosolized route, appropriate
respiratory protection and biocontainment levels should be
used for all quarantine necropsies. Histopathology should
be evaluated by a veterinary pathologist with experience in
primate infectious diseases. If the veterinarian determines
that the death was possibly due to a disease that is a public
health concern or reportable, CDC and state public health
agencies should be contacted for additional requirements.
of NHP causing overt disease in another species of NHP
(
London, 1977; Morita et al., 1979; Desrosiers et al., 1985;
Fickenscher and Fleckenstein, 2001
). In some instances, it
may be necessary to utilize dedicated clinical equipment to
prevent cross-contamination between species. For example,
in facilities housing both squirrel monkeys and common
marmosets, transmission of Saimiriine herpesvirus 1or2
between species could have drastic consequences, so there
should be both strict separation of animals and dedicated
instrumentation for each species.
Sanitation
Sanitation programs are essential to minimize the spread of
disease and maintain the overall health of colony animals.
Sanitation programs will vary according to the type of
housing and species involved. The
Animal Welfare Act
1986
requires that primary enclosures in an indoor setting
be cleaned daily and sanitized biweekly (
ILAR, 2010
).
More frequent cleaning and/or sanitization may be neces-
sary in certain situations, for example animals with diarrhea
or polyuria. Nest boxes, perches, and enrichment devices
must also be sanitized or replaced when soiled (
ILAR,
2010
). The schedule for cleaning these items will be
determined by the item and the species using it. For
example, Callithrix and Aotus, which scent mark, require
schedules which alternate sanitation of the primary enclo-
sure and the enrichment device so that a portion of their
environment maintains some of the territorial scent mark.
This is especially important in a breeding situation (
Fox,
2002
). Walls, the exterior of cages, ceilings, and floors
should be kept clean and sanitized to limit the spread of
infectious disease and to meet regulatory requirements.
Release from Quarantine
Prior to release of animals from quarantine all information
pertinent to the group should be reviewed, including ship-
ping documents, applicable permits, health certificates and
records from the originator, tuberculin test records for each
animal, individual health records containing the results of
all surveillance and diagnostic procedures, and all
prophylactic measures performed while in quarantine. The
animals should be scheduled for a final physical examina-
tion prior to being released to the colony. Based on risk
assessment, additional diagnostics including a thoracic
radiograph and blood tests may be desired to rule out active
TB disease that was missed on TST. Following completion
of primary quarantine, federal and state certificates of
quarantine must be filed with the appropriate agency. These
agencies will then forward a certificate of quarantine
completion and release may proceed.
HUSBANDRY MEASURES
CONTRIBUTING TO PREVENTIVE
HEALTH
A basic component of a preventive medicine program is
quality animal husbandry. High quality sanitation, appro-
priate environmental controls, and a nutritionally balanced
diet are important for the health and well-being of a NHP
colony. These topics are covered in more depth in previous
chapters, but a brief overview here will highlight their
contribution to preventive medicine. Facilities housing
NHPs should be designed and constructed to meet requisite
local and national laws.
Aside from animal welfare, perhaps the most important
contribution of good animal husbandry practices is the
prevention of disease transmission between animals. Good
husbandry and well-trained staff can help identify clinical
problems early in their course, allowing earlier intervention
or treatment. Complete physical separation of species is
required to prevent disease transmission, reduce anxiety
due to interspecies conflict, and meet experimental
requirements (
ILAR, 2010
). There are many examples in
the literature of subclinical or latent diseases of one species
Environmental Controls
The
Animal Welfare Act 1986
requires that the ambient
temperature of indoor facilities should not be allowed to
fall below 45
F. When ambient temperatures reach 85
F,
provisions should be made for cooling or increasing air
movement. Temperature extremes can cause significant
stress which is not only a welfare issue but can also lead to
exacerbation of disease, reactivation and shedding of latent
viral disease, or immunosuppression secondary to stress.
The recommended temperature for most primate facil-
ities is 64
84
F(
ILAR, 2010
). Species, size, and condition
of animals should be taken into consideration when deter-
mining the temperature for a particular room or facility.
Animals housed in outdoor facilities must be acclimated to
outdoor air temperatures. These animals can often tolerate
a wider range of temperatures than is recommended for
nonacclimated animals. When temperature extremes occur,
additional measures must be taken to ensure the well-being
of these animals. These may include shelter from sunlight,
e
