Quality Assurance Assessment Program

The Office of the Attending Veterinarian Quality Assurance (QA) laboratory provides routine health surveillance of all University of Laboratory Animal Resources (ULAR) animal facilities via a sentinel program, vendor health reports, and environmental testing and validation of sanitation effectiveness. The QA team also provides services to non-ULAR areas on a fee-for-service basis. 

• The Sentinel Program consists of tri-annual PCR testing of Exhaust Air Dust (EAD®), also known at Ohio State as Mentinels, for rodent housing utilizing individually ventilated cage (IVC) racks and dirty-bedding sentinel/media testing for animal housing utilizing static ventilation. 
• The research team will be contacted only if their colony animals test positive for excluded agents, however test results can be provided on request.
• Test results are used to generate health reports for animals being exported to other institutions.

An offsite quarantine facility is managed by the QA team and houses animals imported from non-approved vendors such as other institutions or universities and all animals traveling to Ohio State by air (regardless of the vendor). 

Comprehensive testing services are available for diseases within colonies on a case-by-case basis.

• Diagnostic workup of sick animals may include serology, culture, and/or necropsy for gross and histopathologic findings. For herd health and/or spontaneous disease, testing may be completed by OAV staff at no charge to the principal investigator.
• Support for GLP studies is available, including environmental testing of water and caging prior to and following the study.
• The QA team helps facilitate available services through existing relationships with commercial vendors.
  • clinical and anatomic pathology support, including histology and immunohistochemistry services 
  • cell line testing 
  • rederivation services