How to isolate a rodent: biocontainment caging options

Abstract

Interest in research on ‘select agents’, dangerous federally regulated microorganisms and biological toxins, has intensified in recent years, spurred on by both terrorist threats and natural outbreaks of emerging diseases like SARS, Ebola, and avian influenza. The expanded interest can be easily measured in dollars that are earmarked for research centers, government agencies, and investigators working with select agents. One example: the National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded Project for the Bioshield Act of 2004, which allotted $5.6 billion dollars for vaccine and drug purchases and research financing over ten years1. Moreover, the value of federal research grants for projects involving biosafety levels (BSL)-3 and -4 (the conditions under which in vitro select agent work is conducted) increased from $1.2 billion in the two years ending in 2001 to $13.1 billion for the period from 2002 to 2004 (ref. 2). Such lucrative payouts have increased the demand for the facilities capable of working with these deadly disease agents. Since the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) began ramping up its biodefense research in 2003, the agency has funded the creation of nine BSL-3 and two BSL-4 facilities3. Following that lead, other research institutions across the nation have invested in similar facilities, prompting many companies to increase the availability of biocontainment products. That trend includes the laboratory animal caging industry, which has seen the advent of racks, cages, and other equipment designed for use in the animal research counterpart to BSL, animal biosafety level (ABSL)-3 and -4 facilities. This article provides a review of some of the rack and cage systems available for use in ABSL-3 and -4 facilities or as stand-alone biocontainment equipment.