It is important to ensure that rodent colonies are free of adventitious infectious agents to support high quality, robust research & safety data. Traditionally, rodent health surveillance has been performed using live sentinel animals. Somewhat recently, molecular-based diagnostics combined with environmental health monitoring strategies have been adapted by many institutions to replace the more traditional methods. These methods replace live rodents and increase sampling accuracy. 

3RsC’s rodent health monitoring initiative strives to help institutions replace soiled bedding sentinels with environmental health monitoring. We have created an extensive resource hub on why & how to make the switch. Finally, we’ve conducted benchmarking surveys to evaluate the current status of implementation and remaining barriers.

We are excited to share that in part because of our efforts, over 35 institutions have switched to environmental health monitoring replacing over 10,000 mice each year. This includes governmental, academic, and global pharmaceutical companies. Both internal and published data from these institutions show that environmental health monitoring is more sensitive than sentinels.

Do you have a question about rodent health monitoring at your institution?

Check out our resource hub for a general overview, presentation, SOPs, downloadable slide deck, and FAQs. If you still have questions after exploring our resources, contact us at info@3rc.org . We can help connect you with someone who can help.