STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE for SPF SWINE PROCEDURES

COMPARATIVE MEDICINE LABORATORY ANIMAL FACILITIES

  1. Purpose:
    This procedure outlines care given to specific pathogen free swine housed in CM-LAF
  2. Scope:
    This procedure applies to all CM-LAF and principal investigator staff involved with SPF swine.
  3. Procedure:
    Specific Pathogen Free (SPF) swine are bred and raised under conditions of microbiological exclusion to prevent infection from pathogens. SPF swine are free of many of the enteric and respiratory diseases which plague conventional farm raised animals, and which can confound the interpretation of research results. It is paramount to follow the procedures below to prevent the cross contamination of these SPF swine while housed in the CM-LAF. Anyone in contact with swine at other institutions, or on farms, must inform the CMLAF veterinarian prior to having contact with the SPF swine.
    1. Entry Requirements:
      1. No contact with conventional swine (CM-LAF, home) can occur prior to entry into the SPF room, without showering and donning clean clothes.
      2. Personnel dedicated to the SPF room, must don clean clothes or scrub suits.
      3. Personnel must wash hands and don protective clothing before entering room including gown, cap, gloves, and booties. These items will be provided at the entrance to the room.
      4. All protective clothing must be removed AFTER leaving the SPF room.
    2. Quarantine Period:
      1. CM-LAF veterinary technicians will examine pigs visually for health problems upon arrival
      2. SPF swine must be quarantined in their holding room for at least 72 hours prior to use in a survival research project.
      3. Health problems and abnormalities must be reported to the CM-LAF veterinary staff during this period.
    3. Housing:
      1. Holding rooms will be thoroughly power washed and disinfected prior to housing SPF swine.
      2. Rooms will be RODAC tested after cleaning to ensure complete sanitation.
      3. Rooms will be located as far away as possible from conventional pig rooms in the facility.
    4. Animal Care Staff:
      1. Care of the swine will ideally be the responsibility of one staff member who does not have any contact with conventional swine.
        1. If an alternate staff member is required to work with the SPF swine, they must enter the room first in the day, with clean clothes (see Entry Requirements above).
      2. Boots, aprons will be designated to the SPF room.
    5. Equipment:
      1. Cleaning equipment, supplies, feed, toys must be designated to the SPF room and have no prior contact with conventional swine.
      2. All utensils must be cage washed (sanitized) prior to use in the SPF room.
      3. Research personnel must ensure lab equipment, lab coats, carts etc are not cross contaminated from conventional swine.
    6. Research Procedures:
      1. SPF swine will be transported to labs/ORs in sanitized carts.
      2. SPF swine must not contact materials, tables, lab coats, equipment which may have been in contact with conventional swine.
      3. Recovery will occur in the transportation carts and pigs will be returned to their holding room.
      4. Avoid transporting pigs in corridors common to conventional swine.
    7. Medical Care:
      1. Treatments will be done in the holding room if feasible.
      2. Severely sick animals will be confined to a transport cart and treated in the holding room or in recovery room.
      3. Veterinary Technician responsible for the care of sick SPF swine will NOT be responsible for conventional swine treatments on the same day. Conventional swine treatments will be re-assigned to another Veterinary Technician.