IVC z-bo 2020-12-10 441

　　Objective To study the standard operating procedures for cage replacement of independent ventilated cages and the risk of virus infection in mice reared with IVC (individual ventilated cage, IVC) equipment in laboratory animal negative pressure barrier facilities. Methods The mouse susceptible mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) A59 strain was selected to infect 6-week-old BALB/c male mice, and the cage was changed according to the IVC cage change standard operating procedure; IFA and ELISA serological methods and MHV were used. The nucleic acid detection method detects the MHV infection of the sentinel animals in the adjacent cages of the same cage, the different cages of the same IVC system, and the negative pressure barrier facilities outside the IVC system.

　　 Results The vaccinated mice showed clinical symptoms 6 days after infection, and MHV pathogens could be detected in the feces; MHV antibodies were detected in the animals after 3 weeks of infection; no MHV positive was detected in the other monitoring groups at the end of the 5-week experiment.

　　 Conclusion The standard operating procedures of IVC cage change can guide IVC cage change operations to control the risk of infection of mice by viral pathogens.