Microbiological Monitoring of Guinea Pigs Reared Conventionally at Two Breeding Facilities in Korea

Abstract

In this study, microbiological monitoring of guinea pigs reared conventionally in two facilities was performed twice in 2004, with a three-month-interval between surveys. This study was based on the recommendations of the FELASA Working Group, with some modifications. In serological tests in the first survey, some animals from facility A showed positive results for Encephalitozoon cuniculi, Sendai virus, pneumonia virus of mice (PVM), and Reovirus-3 (Reo-3); facility B showed a positive result only for E. cuniculi. The results of the second survey were similar to the first, except for the presence of Sendai virus; all animals from the two facilities were Sendai virus-negative in the second experiment. No pathogenic bacteria were cultured in the organs of any of the animals in the first survey. However, in the second survey, Bordetella bronchiseptica was cultured from the lung tissue of two 10-week-old animals from facility A. Chlamydial infection was examined by the Macchiavello method, but no animal showed positive results. Tests using fecal flotation or the KOH wet mount method showed no infection of endoparasites, protozoa, ectoparasites, or dermatophytes in any animal in both surveys. However, in the histopathological examination, an infection of protozoa-like organisms was observed in the cecum of some animals from facility A. The present study revealed that microbiological contamination was present in guinea pigs reared conventionally in two facilities in Korea, suggesting that there is a need to improve environmental conditions in order to eradicate microbial contamination.