Facility Designation for Rodents

RARC rodent specific pathogen free (SPF) facility designations are based on several factors, including the facility's known rodent pathogen status, colony health testing strategy, and quarantine capability/disease response plan.

Campus Vendor Facilities

• Campus vendor facilities allow rodents only from approved vendors or those that have been rederived.
• Rodents that leave these facilities cannot return.
• Campus vendors include Biomedical Research Models Services (BRMS) Mouse Breeding Core at the SMI-Bardeen facility and Biotechnology Animal Models Core (AMC) at the Biotechnology facility.

SPF Level 1 Facilities

• SPF Level 1 facilities, or designated spaces, allow rodents from approved vendors or those that have been rederived.
• Rodents that leave these facilities cannot return to SPF 1 colony rooms and must be housed in other facilities with level 2 designation or containment rooms.
• Quarterly testing is conducted to ensure that pathogens on the exclusion list are not present in the rodent colonies. At least once a year, a full panel with all excluded pathogens must be run to ensure no excluded pathogens are present. The other three quarters, an abbreviated panel may be used. An accepted method of testing must be utilized. These include sentinels, exhaust air dust or soiled bedding sentinel free testing.
• SPF Level 1 facilities/rooms include: Microbial Sciences Vivarium, Waisman Vivarium, 6th Floor MSC, WIMR Immunocompromised Housing Rooms (B1422, B1424, B1426, B1427, B1428, B1532, B1536), Biotechnology Gnotobiotic, Veterinary Medicine room 2420A.

SPF Level 2 Facilities (Standard)

• These facilities house rodents that may have Mouse Norovirus (MNV) and Helicobacter spp.
• At a minimum biannual testing is completed to verify the absence of excluded pathogens. At least once a year, a full panel with all excluded pathogens must be run to ensure no excluded pathogens are present. At other times, an abbreviated panel may be used. An accepted method of testing must be utilized. These include sentinels, exhaust air dust or soiled bedding sentinel free testing.
• Rodent imports from non-approved vendor sources or outside institutes, must receive prior approval from an RARC veterinarian through the RARC Transfers Office.
• Imported rodents are subject to confirmatory testing through quarantine upon arrival to campus.
• Animals may be transferred between Level 2 facilities. Transfers require RARC veterinary approval and must go through the transfer process conducted by the RARC Transfers Office.
• SPF Level 2 facilities/rooms include: Veterinary Medicine, Charmany, Hanson, Medical Science Center, Clinical Science Center, Wisconsin Institute for Medical Research (including Containment rooms, SAIRF, satellite tower rooms), Rennebohm/Pharmacy, WISPIC, MSB-Knoll Vivarium, Nutritional Sciences, Animal Sciences, McArdle, Brogden Hall, Noland Hall, Waisman BTS
• SPF Level 2 facilities/rooms that exclude MNV and Helicobacter sp: Biochemistry

Cores

• Facilities or spaces that are categorized as cores will be considered Level 2 facilities. However, due to the increased transfers of animals through these spaces, they will be expected to conduct additional testing.
• Quarterly testing will be conducted to ensure pathogens on the exclusion list are not present in the rodents in the facilities. At least once a year, a full panel with all excluded pathogens must be run to ensure no excluded pathogens are present. At other times, an abbreviated panel may be used. An accepted method of testing must be utilized. These include sentinels, exhaust air dust or soiled bedding sentinel free testing.

Excluded Pathogens

If pathogens on the facility's exclusion list are found in any rodent colonies, one of the following occurs:

• Animals are moved to a facility that allows the pathogen.
• Treatment/burnout is conducted in situ (if feasible).
• Colony animals are tested and culled.
• Rederived

Movement

Movement of rodents between facilities must receive prior approval from an RARC veterinarian through the RARC Transfers Office. Rodents are not permitted to move from a SPF 2 facility to SPF 1 facility.

Personnel who need to move between facilities start at the Campus Vendor to SPF Level 1 to SPF Level 2 direction. Movement in a different sequence, such as from an SPF Level 2 to a SPF Level 1 facility can occur, but only if staff takes appropriate measures such as showering or changing clothes. RARC veterinary staff must determine which measures are required for individual facilities.