Environmental monitoring provides a proactive approach to identifying and excluding harmful factors that may affect the health of your animal colonies. Microbiology and PCR testing methods are employed to detect bacteria, viruses and parasites. Our professional staff members will work with to you develop a customized program for your facility.
Facility
-
Measure the effectiveness of your general cleaning and biosecurity practices as well as decontamination procedures.
Surfaces
-
Key areas can include the surfaces of drains, walls, floors, work stations, laminar flow hoods, light switches, door handles and washed cages.
-
Sampling with plates and swabs can monitor these areas of critical use. For flat surfaces (e.g., walls, floors), RODAC™ (Replicate Organism Detection and Counting) can be used quantify the amount of microbial colonies present in a given area.
-
Sample Collection Procedure
Water
-
Determine if unwanted pathogens are in animal drinking water.
-
Sterility testing is especially important for facilities with immunodeficient animals.
-
Collect water samples directly from a public water source, post-filtration (or other decontaminating process), or from individual rooms at the sink and lixit level.
-
Sample Collection Procedures:
Feed and Bedding
-
Loose feed and bedding bins may house potential pathogens and should be tested periodically or anytime you change vendors.
-
Sample Collection Procedure