[A trial designed to obtain a specific pathogen free Syrian hamster colony by administration of chemicals]

Conventional Syrian hamsters, contaminated with Giardia spp., Spironucleus muris, Trichomonas spp., Pasteurella pneumotropica and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were treated with chemicals in order to obtain specific pathogen free animals. Hamsters kept in the laminar flow rack were treated orally with metronidazole several times to obtain a flagellate-free colony. After all flagellates had been eradicated, one pair of animals were kept in an isolator and mating was allowed to occur. When their offspring reached the age of seven weeks, they were intramuscularly injected daily with netilmicin sulfate for 10 consecutive days. Following these treatments, all of the hamsters were free of Pasteurella and Pseudomonas. Further breeding of these animals was continued in isolators. To confirm the absence of selected pathogens, they were placed in a barrier room for further breeding as specific pathogen free animals.