GEN: 10 Myths About Contamination

Sep 19 2012

GEN Magazine

Shipping animals between institutions can increase the risk for contamination, especially when an institution’s health status is unknown. Movement of staff from areas of low-health status to high also increases risk, as well as other factors, including unscreened biological materials and contaminated food.

Knowledge of such risks helps combat the spread of infectious agents. But what if that knowledge were wrong? What if we were working with faulty assumptions? More risky than the prevalence of certain pathogens or the shipment of animals are the potential false positives in our understandings. These are the myths—things we think are true but are actually false. In this article on microbiological contamination, we’ll discuss the 10 most common.

Click here to read more in an article written by Kathleen R. Pritchett-Corning,  Charles River Director of Research and Professional Services, and Charles B. Clifford, Director of Pathology and Technical Services for Charles River Research Models and Services as well as Research Animal Diagnostic Services.