Sentinel Procedures in MI Cages

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Sentinel Procedures in MI Cages

• Kirk D. Butler
• Rodent Health Surveillance Coordinator

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The Sentinel Program

• Sentinel Mice (Two CD1 Females, 4 to 6 weeks of
  age.)
• Used to monitor the rodent colonies for disease.
• Sentinels are exposed to cage bedding from the
  rodent colony for 4 months.
• Sentinels submitted for disease testing monthly
  or every 3
• months.

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Sentinel Exposure

• The sentinel cage is the last cage to be changed
  on each rack.
• At bedding change, one tablespoon of dirty
  bedding from each non-sentinel cage is placed in
  the sentinel cage
• Empty half the bedding from a new, clean cage and
  mix the dirty bedding into this cage.

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Improper Sentinel Exposure
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Proper Sentinel Exposure
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Sentinel Attached to Rack

• Important!!!!!!
• Always make sure that if a Rack moves, the
  Sentinel assigned to that rack must move with the
  rack!

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Clean Facilities Monthly Schedule

• Sentinels are assigned to every rack in
  facilities with microfilter-top cages or
  automatic ventilated racks Animal Service
  Technicians label each sentinel cage with
• Facility and Room
• Rack
• Date Sentinel Assigned to Rack
• Date Sentinels First Exposed to Dirty Bedding

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Monthly Submissions

• Schedules are assigned to each clean animal
  facility, one quarter of the sentinels in each
  room are submitted for disease testing.
• Rack number, and date are submitted on sentinel
  for the particular room.
• If a rack is not submitted, explanation recorded.
• New sentinel assigned A.S.A.P.

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Laboratory Housing 3-Month Schedule

• Sentinel cages are assigned to each room by the
  veterinarian.
• Animal Service Technicians label
• Facility and Room .
• Date Sentinel Assigned to Rack.
• Date Sentinels First Exposed to Dirty Bedding.
• All sentinel cages are submitted every three
  months

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Disease Outbreak Procedure

• Should a sentinel test positive for disease in
  the clean colonies, the Veterinarian may request
  all sentinels in a room/facility be submitted for
  testing.
• Sentinels that have been exposed to dirty bedding
  for at least four weeks can test positive for
  some diseases should be submitted.
• Quarantine will be determined by the
  veterinarian.

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Moving of Sentinel Rack

• If a rack is moved from a room, the sentinel
  should go with it.
• If an investigators mice are transferred to
  another room/facility, the sentinel stays with
  the rack. The investigators mice will be
  assigned a new sentinel.

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Rack Card Information

• Every rack has a durable rack card fastened
  affixed to the sentinel cage at the bottom right
  corner of the rack.
• Each Card identifies the racks
• Facility
• PIs Associated on Rack
• Room
• Rack

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Sentinel Submissions

• Sentinels brought to Necropsy
• Serology Samples, Fecal Floats, Mite Tape Test
• Database Entry
• Log Updates
• Packaged/Shipped
• Results
• Process Repeats

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Pinworms
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Mites and Lice
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Summary

• Proper Rotation of Sentinel Submission is
  essential to proper disease surveillance of
  rodent colonies.
• Efficient interaction of all Animal care staff is
  critical to the over all health of the Research
  Rodent Population and success of the Sentinel
  Program.

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Questions???

• Kirk D. Butler
• Rodent Health Surveillance Coordinator
• Johns Hopkins Universtiy
• Baltimore, MD
• Kbutle15_at_jhmi.edu
• [phone]