Anim. However, about 200 inbred strains of rats have been described, with about a dozen strains being commercially available in the USA, Europe and Japan. The mixed infection results in a much more deadly syndrome. Once in the laboratory, rabbits used in research in spaces depending on their weight, according to recommendations made by The Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. Rotaviral enteritis also has been diagnosed in the USA and seems to contribute to the overall problem of intestinal disease in rabbits. After mice and rats, they are the most common laboratory animal. Because of the edematous condition, “poxless” rabbitpox may be confused with myxomatosis. Updates to Hazardous Agents Administration SOP Ensuring the health and safety of research personnel and the animals entrusted to our care is critical to the long … The American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA) was founded in 1910 and is the national authority on rabbit raising and rabbit breeds having a uniform Standard of Perfection, registration and judging system. A fibroma virus, a member of the pox-virus group, causes this tumor, which is found on the legs, feet, and ears. Occasionally, a rabbit survives for several weeks; in these cases, fibrotic nodules appear on the nose, ears, and forefeet. Many thousand rabbit shows occur each year and are sanctioned in Canada and the United States by the ARBA. Inbred strains are also available, but are not as commonly used as inbred mice. • Crossing several Wistar females with wild gray male. Commonly used laboratory rabbits strains The order Lagomorpha comprises of cottontails, hares, pikas and rabbits. Rabbits used in research who are suffering from pain and distress may display a number of signs including lack of appetite, weight loss, self-mutilation, aggression, tremoring and/or vocalization. Two inbred rabbit strains, JWY-NIBS and NWY-NIBS, were established by full-sib mating in the Nippon Institute for Biological Science, Laboratory Animal Research Station. Myxomatosis is a fatal disease of all breeds of domesticated rabbits caused by myxoma virus, a member of the poxvirus group. Choice of Species and Strain The eyelids, nose, lips, and ears become edematous, which gives a swollen appearance to the head. Cilia-associated respiratory (CAR) bacillus is a relatively recently identified pathogen of wild (73) and laboratory rats and, to a lesser extent, mice and rabbits; it has been used in experimental infections of guinea pigs and hamsters (598). Transmission occurs via mosquitoes, fleas, biting flies, and direct contact. Rapid response and cooperation between federal and state agencies contained this outbreak and eliminated the source of infection. In 2018, about 43% of the rabbits used in research were subjected to procedures involving pain and distress. The calicivirus is highly contagious and can be transmitted by direct contact with infected rabbits or indirectly by fomites. In rabbits that survive longer, subcutaneous edema and nodular skin tumors are seen. It is thought to have originated in China and spread from there to the USSR and Poland. The trusted provider of veterinary information since 1955, Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases of Rabbits, Which of the following best indicates respiratory distress in a blue-headed parrot (, Last full review/revision Sep 2015 | Content last modified Oct 2015, © 2020 Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA), © 2021 Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA, Associate Professor of Zoological and Exotic Animal Medicine, Department of Small Animal Medicine &and Surgery, College of Veterinary Medicine. Rabbits are commonly used for toxicity and safety testing of substances such as drugs, chemicals and medical devices. Those that survive become progressively depressed and develop a rough coat. Laboratory Rabbit Diet. Rabbits are ground dwellers whose habitat ranges from deserts to tropical forests and wetlands. The USA is currently considered free of rabbit hemorrhagic disease. Sci. The following guidelines are intended to eliminate or reduce to a minimum, animal discomfort associated with the use of antibody production in laboratory animals. This controversial use of rabbits resulted in some of the first large-scale protests against animal experimentation in the 1970s and 1980s and pushed the scientific community to search for in vitro alternatives. The causative virus is closely related to vaccinia virus, and some outbreaks may have been caused by a virulent strain of vaccinia. The first report of the virus in the Western hemisphere was in Mexico City in 1988. Major research applications are in immunology, oncology, physiology, pathology, and neuroscience. Large, eosinophilic, cytoplasmic inclusion bodies in the conjunctival epithelial cells are also helpful in diagnosis. In serologic studies of rabbit colonies around the world, almost 100% of the adult rabbits in some rabbitries were positive for rotavirus, demonstrating its widespread nature. In acute outbreaks, some rabbits may die within 48 hr after signs appear. Rabbit breeds vary greatly in size and Rabbit Council but the New Zealand White (NZW), bred in the 1920s has become the one most commonly used in … For example, it is 18.5 days in C57BL/6J (000664) mice, 20 days in BALB/cJ (000651) mice, and 21 days in A/J It is probable that rotavirus is only mildly pathogenic, but most rotavirus infections are complicated with pathogenic bacteria such as Clostridium spp or E coli. The seasonal incidence of the disease, clinical signs (especially the swollen genitalia), and high mortality are all of diagnostic significance. The spleen is occasionally enlarged and is almost always devoid of lymphocytes when examined histologically. Environmental conditions such as housing and husbandry have a major impact on the laboratory animal throughout its life and will thereby influence the outcome of animal experiments ( Baumans 2004 ; Van de Weerd et al. 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