Specific pathogen-free conditions, animal studies

Where animals are used, mice and rats are the preferred models. Other species used are hamsters, guinea pigs and rabbits. These animals are bred in a specially controlled environment, under specific pathogen-free conditions, to ensure that they do not carry infections or pathogens before being used in various tests. Different breeds or strains of animals are used, for example, BALB/c mice are used for immunity studies and Fischer - 344 mice for carcinoma evaluation. Nude mice (in addition to the nude gene, which results in the absence of thymus and T-cell function) have two other... 

The control of intercurrent infectious diseases or parasites is facilitated if rodents are bred and maintained in conditions free from specific pathogenic organisms. Bedding used in long-term studies should be sterilized. Animals should be housed in quiet, well-ventilated rooms, with controlled lighting, temperature, and humidity. Experiments should not be initiated until animals have been allowed a period of acclimation to the environment. Neither conditions nor animals from outside sources should be placed in tests without an adequate period of quarantine. 

---