Animal Health Monitoring and Quarantine
Sample Collection Guidelines

Fecal Pellet Collection

Feces: Fecal pellets for PCR evaluation should be collected with clean gloves or sterile forceps and placed in individually labeled sterile tubes. 

• If testing individual mice/rats, submit fecal pellets from each animal. Two to three pellets per animal are adequate. 
• If multiple animals of the same microbiologic status are being evaluated, up to 10 fecal pellets can be pooled and tested as one sample. If collecting fecal pellets from multiple animals, gloves should be changed and forceps replaced between animals to prevent cross-contamination. Alternatively, forceps can be wiped clean and immersed in diluted bleach (10%) solution for 10 minutes prior to reuse. 
• Fecal samples are stable and can be held at room temperature if packaged the same day for shipping or stored in the refrigerator until ready to send. For long-term storage, samples can be frozen. 
• Place labeled sample tubes in a cardboard mailer or styrofoam box and ship overnight to our laboratory. Samples can be shipped at ambient temperature or on ice packs. 

Pelt Swab Sample Collection 

Pelt Swab: Using a sterile, dry flocked swab, thoroughly swab the fur against the direction of the hair coat of the animal. It is important to swab around the face, back, tail base, and belly for the best results.

• Insert the swab halfway into a labeled sterile tube, close the tube lid against the swab shaft, and pull down on the swab shaft to break the shaft. The tip end will fall into the tube, and the tube can be capped. 
• Place labeled sample tubes in a cardboard mailer or styrofoam box and ship overnight to our laboratory. Samples can be shipped at ambient temperature or on ice packs. 

Oral Swab Collection (for PCR Testing)

Oral Swab: Using a sterile, dry flocked swab, restrain the mouse/rat with one hand so that the head is not able to move from side to side.

• Insert the oral swab starting at the corner of the mouth to encourage the animal to open its mouth.
• Slowly twirl the swab to collect the sample.
• Insert the swab halfway into a labeled sterile tube, close the tube lid against the swab shaft, and pull down on the swab shaft to break the shaft. The tip end will fall into the tube, and the tube can be capped.
• Place labeled sample tubes in a cardboard mailer or styrofoam box and ship overnight to our laboratory. Samples can be shipped at ambient temperature or on ice packs.

Opti-Spot^® Sample Collection 

1. Materials required

      • Opti-Spot card (available from IDEXX BioAnalytics for no charge)

      • Lancet or needle

2. Sample labeling

      • Label one Opti-Spot card with a unique identification number for each sample strip.

3. Opti-Spot cards and strips

• The Opti-Spot cards are constructed with 5 individual strips separated by perforations. The strips are easily separated along the       
   perforation lines for individual use. 

• On each strip, a 1.0 cm² circle is printed on the face of the Opti-Spot membrane as a guide. It is not necessary that the blood spot be
   centered within the circle. 

4. Opti-Spot sample collection

• Ante-mortem blood samples may be obtained by lancing the lateral saphenous, facial or the temporal vein. Touch the Opti-Spot
   membrane to blood drop as it forms on the surface of the skin. 

• If the blood sample is taken by cardiocentesis, quickly dispense one drop of whole blood onto the Opti-Spot strip.

• The blood spot should be of sufficient size (approximately 1 cm²) to nearly fill the printed circle and be of sufficient volume to saturate  
   the membrane. The blood spot will appear similar on both sides of the membrane.

• Allow the blood spot to dry for a minimum of one hour.

• Once dried, fold the protective upper tab over the blood spot and tuck under the lower tab.

5. Sample Shipment

It is important that the Opti-Spot strip is protected from moisture. Once dry, place Opti-Spot samples in a water-tight plastic bag containing the provided silica gel desiccant pack, and ship samples in a standard overnight envelope.

Environmental Monitoring Sample Collection 

Exhaust Air Dust Collection Devices: In an effort to decrease the use of sentinel animals and increase the diagnostic sensitivity of monitoring rodent colonies for infectious agents, centralized whole rack level monitoring is being used as an adjunct to or a replacement for the use of soiled bedding sentinels. IDEXX BioAnalytics has a full suite of diagnostic real-time PCR assays based on the proprietary IDEXX BioAnalytics platform to provide testing for all of your environmental samples.

1. Exhaust air debris collection filters, membranes, or matrices measuring up to 6 cm x 9.5 cm can be placed lengthwise in a 50 ml conical tube.

a. For matrices suspended in the exhaust air stream, the upward facing side of the matrix should face the center of the collection tube.

b. For thin filters placed perpendicular to the air stream, the side of the filter facing the airflow should face the center of the collection tube.

2. A sample of exhaust air dust may be collected and placed directly in a 2.0 ml microcentrifuge tube for testing.

3. Swabs of plenums, prefilters, dust, or other surfaces can be placed in a 2 ml microcentrifuge tube and the swab head either snapped or cut so that  only the swab head is in the tube. Collect as much debris/dust as the swab will hold from the dirtiest portion of the surfaces being swabbed.

4. Cage Swab: Using a sterile, dry flocked swab, thoroughly swab the inside perimeter at the level of the bedding of the empty, soiled cage. Up to 10 cages can be swabbed using the same swab.

• Insert the swab halfway into a labeled sterile tube, close the tube lid against the swab shaft, and pull down on the swab shaft to break the shaft. The tip end will fall into the tube and the tube can be capped. 
• Place labeled sample tubes in a cardboard mailer or styrofoam box and ship overnight to our laboratory. Samples can be shipped at ambient temperature or on ice packs.