A comprehensive laboratory animal facility pandemic response plan

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Public Health
• Biosafety

Background:

• Severe influenza pandemics pose a significant threat to the continuity of laboratory animal facility operations.
• Maintaining animal welfare is paramount during public health crises.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a comprehensive pandemic response plan for laboratory animal facilities.
• To integrate this plan into a broader university-wide emergency preparedness strategy.

Main Methods:

• Involving all organizational levels, including the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), in plan development.
• Considering various pandemic scenarios, durations, and severity levels.
• Establishing trigger points for action based on World Health Organization (WHO) pandemic alert phases.

Main Results:

• The plan addresses essential operations such as personnel management, health protection, supply logistics, waste removal, and potential euthanasia.
• Contingency plans include research hibernation and maintaining reduced animal colonies for up to six months.
• Strategies like cryopreservation were implemented to safeguard valuable research strains and intellectual property.

Conclusions:

• A well-structured pandemic response plan is crucial for maintaining laboratory animal welfare and research continuity.
• The developed plan provides a framework for adapting operations during influenza pandemics.
• Elements of the plan were successfully tested during the 2009 Influenza A (H1N1) pandemic alert.