Lab Animal Services

Rodent Import and Quarantine - Non-Approved Vendors

Rodent Quarantine

Rodents arriving from non-approved vendors e.g. collaborators, must go through a quarantine period prior to entry into general housing.  This is done to minimize the risk of introducing adventitious pathogens into Augusta University colonies.  NOTE: All requests are handled on a first come-first served basis, and space is limited. 

Animals from approved vendors (Charles River Labs, Jackson Laboratories, Taconic Biosciences, Envigo, RRRC and certain NIH facilities) may directly enter colonies. 

Prior to receipt and entry into Rodent Quarantine, DLAS must receive and review health records. The process proceeds as follows: 

  • PI places a new request in Cayuse > Animal Procurement > + Import Animals  
  • The exporting Institution will be asked to:
    • Provide a facility and rodent health surveillance description. 
    • Health surveillance reports dating back 12 months, with the most recent being within 120 days.
  • Complete import form. 

After DLAS has reviewed and approved the receipt of animals, the shipping coordinator sends an approval letter to the shipping institution to include the days acceptable to DLAS for receipt.   The shipping institution schedules delivery with DLAS using the courier of their choice. 

Upon receipt, animals enter quarantine for a period of approximately 4 weeks.  Through course of 4 weeks, the following process takes place:  

  • Animals are directly tested during the first week of arrival and retested 1 week prior to release for a panel of excluded pathogens.  
  • Animals are fed Envigo Irradiated Ivermectin Diet (12 ppm) or provided with ivermectin water in the event animals must remain on their special diet.  
  • Animals are housed by same sex in static micro-isolator cages within an isolator assigned to a single Investigator.  Barrier practices are instituted during this time,  PI’s do not have access to the animals nor can experiments take place. 

PI’s will receive an email from the shipping coordinator confirming arrival once condition has been verified, along with an estimated release date.  

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