HEALTH IMPROVEMENT & COST REDUCTION IN ANIMAL FACILITIES

描述（由申请方提供）：拟定研究的总体目标 是建立优化小鼠健康的环境条件， 在生物医学研究中，提供安全舒适的工作场所， 与动物研究相关的成本。 的手段 申请人将实现这一目标包括：（1）确定住房 最大限度地减少病原体转移的条件，（2）评估淘汰的效果 （3）确定畜牧业和卫生习惯， 减少看护人接触小鼠过敏原，以及（4）建立工作场所 可以改善动物护理人员健康的活动。 的 研究人员将首先研究通风笼的容量， “中性”气流和负通风换台，减少工人 暴露于过敏原并减少或消除巴氏杆菌的转移 嗜肺菌、螺杆菌属（Helicobacter spp.）和卡氏肺孢子虫 无病原体的免疫缺陷小鼠。 申请人将决定 小鼠的繁殖成功率，其窝仔被剔除或不被剔除， 不同的通风条件。 水的功效，稀释单宁酸， 稀释的次氯酸钠用于降低呼吸区过敏原水平 在床上的变化将进行测试。 看护人的皮肤和衣服 通过空气进入小鼠房间后，对金黄色葡萄球菌进行采样 或湿淋浴和过敏原离开设施后，通过空气或湿 淋浴。 为了减少员工的工伤事故， 将制定能力检查表，并将其用于设计员工 锻炼计划。 最后，就业前职能能力评估 这是一个帮助新员工在他们有能力胜任的岗位上工作的工具 将用于

DESCRIPTION (Provided by applicant): The overall goal of the proposed studies is to establish environmental conditions that optimize the health of mice used in biomedical research, provide a safe and comfortable workplace, and minimize the costs associated with doing animal-based research. The methods by which the applicants will approach this goal include: (1) determining housing conditions that minimize pathogen transfer, (2) evaluating effects of culling on reproductive success, (3) identifying husbandry and hygiene practices that reduce caretaker exposure to mouse allergen, and (4) instituting workplace activities that may improve the health of animal caretakers. The investigators will first study the capacity of ventilated caging maintained at "neutral" airflow and negatively ventilated changing tables to reduce worker exposure to allergen and to reduce or eliminate transfer of Pasteurella pneumotropica, Helicobacter spp. and Pneumocystis carinii from infected mice to pathogen-free immunocompromised mice. The applicants will determine reproductive success of mice whose litters are culled or not and housed under different ventilation conditions. The efficacy of water, dilute tannic acid, and dilute sodium hypochlorite used to reduce breathing zone allergen levels during bedding changes will be tested. Skin and clothing of caretakers will be sampled for Staphylococcus aureus upon entry into mouse rooms through air or wet showers and for allergen upon exiting the facility through air or wet showers. In an effort to reduce employee workplace injuries, a functional capacity checklist will be developed and will be used to design an employee exercise program. Lastly, a pre-employment Functional Capacity Assessment tool to help slot new hires in positions for which they are physically capable will be used.