JAX Animal Health Program

Diagnostic Program Overview

The Diagnostic Program at The Jackson Laboratory is dedicated to ensuring the health of JAX® Mice. Our key activities include:

• Health Verification: Verification of health status of mice rederived in our isolated importation facility before they are integrated into breeding colonies.
• Disease Monitoring: Surveillance for potential disease outbreaks in production and research colonies.
• Epidemiological Analysis: Assessment of strain-specific lesions to determine epidemiological parameters.
• Mutation Differentiation: Distinguishing between new genetic mutations and infectious diseases.
• Assay Development: Creating new molecular and serological assays for targeted microbial agents, as needed.

Our monitored agents' webpage provides a detailed list of pathogens, including bacteria, parasites, viruses, and fungi, tested in JAX® Mice. Diagnostic results are summarized by room and updated every six weeks. Access these results via the "Husbandry" section on each strain's datasheet or view the latest reports on our mouse facilities on the Animal Health Reports webpage.

Clinical Medicine And Pathology Programs

The Jackson Laboratory's clinical medicine and pathology programs are integral to our mouse health management strategy.

• Clinical Medicine: Our clinical team collaborates closely with the Diagnostic Laboratory to uphold rigorous cleaning and disinfection protocols for animal rooms and equipment and ensure a pathogen-free environment. Advanced microbiological techniques are employed to monitor and ensure the efficacy of these processes.
• Pathology: The pathology program evaluates sick animals and studies the pathological effects of newly identified gene mutations. These initial pathological assessments are vital for understanding novel mutations' significance and potential applications in biomedical research

Rederivation of Newly Imported Strains

At The Jackson Laboratory, all mice brought into facility undergo rederivation. These mice are initially housed in microisolator cages within negatively ventilated IVC racks, and all mouse manipulations are carried out within biosafety cabinets. Foster mothers used in the rederivation program come from a colony with a defined aerobic flora.

Rederived mice are kept in isolated barrier facilities and are placed in quarantine post-weaning until their health status is verified through testing of foster and surrogate mothers for all monitored agents. This quarantine process takes place in the JAX Importation Facility, separate from our production and research animal rooms.

Facility Barrier Levels

All JAX® Mice are bred and maintained in specialized barrier facilities that are categorized based on the specific organisms they exclude. For detailed information on barrier levels and associated care procedures, visit our Facility Barrier Levels webpage.

A Collaborative Team

As a premier biomedical research institution and provider of mouse models, The Jackson Laboratory is uniquely positioned to harness the expertise from our importation, diagnostic, clinical medicine, and pathology departments. This integrated approach enhances our understanding of murine diseases, advances innovation in diagnostic techniques, and supports the development of novel mouse models for studying human diseases.