Housing of Different Infected Mice in the Same Room: How to Prevent Roommate Conflicts? Jocelyn Beaucher, PhD, microbiologist Biosafety Officer

Housing of Different Infected Mice in the Same Room: How to Prevent Roommate Conflicts? Jocelyn Beaucher, PhD, microbiologist Biosafety Officer

L Université de Sherbrooke Located in the Eastern Townships, roughly 130 km East of Montreal 35 000 Students 6 400 Employees 9 Faculties Almost 600 laboratories disseminated on 6 campuses http://www.aqf.ca/freepage.php?page=3.22 Approx. 60 CL2 labs, including 4 rooms in the Animal Facility

Health Sciences Campus Main site of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (Faculté de médecine et des sciences de la santé) 300 labs Central Animal Facility Co-localized with the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke (CHUS)

Research Projects Three research teams that wished to work on mouse models with their preferred pathogens: Influenza virus: modulation of host immune defense by specific drugs; Clostridium difficile: establishing of a bacteriophagebased therapy against hyper-virulent C. difficile infections; Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus (LCMV): host immune system memory. Mice to be housed in the Soiled Quarantine of the Animal Facility

Health Sciences Campus

Risk Analysis of Biological Agents: Influenza virus Orthomyxoviridae 8 negative-sens ssrna segments Often named by their surface epitopes: H (Hemagglutinin) and N (Neuraminidase) E.g.: H1N1; H3N2 or H5N1 Host Range: Birds, humans, swine, horses, canines, (mammals in general?) etc. Mice normally showing only a low susceptibility

Risk analysis : Influenza (cont d) Source : http://www.nimr.mrc.ac.uk/phd/projects/fourteen/ Transmissible by direct contact, droplets and sometimes by aerosols Virus mutating easily and regularly Annually causes seasonal outbreaks From time to time, causes pandemics: Spanish Flu in 1918-19 (H1N1) Asian Flu in 1957-58 (H2N2) Hong Kong Flu in 1968-69 (H3N2) Influenza A (H1N1)??2009??

Risk analysis : Influenza (cont d) Virus strains to be used by the research team: A/PR/8/34 (H1N1) (PR8): mouse adapted strain, originating from a 1934 clinical isolate. Low infectivity for human. A/HK/X-31 (H3N2): experimental vaccine strain, created in laboratory in 1969, from a reassortment of PR8 and A/Aichi/2/68 (a 1968 clinical isolate). Infectious for human, but attenuated.

Risk analysis : Clostridium difficile Gram (+) rod, anaerobic Sporulating: spores are very resistant Toxin producer: can cause diarrhea to severe colitis CDC/ Lois S. Wiggs ID#9999 http://phil.cdc.gov/phil/quicksearch.asp Transmission by fecal-oral contact, fomites and hands Host Range: Humans and other animals. The team was to use hyper-virulent clinical strains isolated in Sherbrooke and elsewhere in the world.

Risk analysis : Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus (LCMV) Arenaviridae 2 negative-sens ssrna segments http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ictvdb/ictv/fs_arena.htm Wild type strains can cause influenza-like symptoms Transmission by aerosols from urine and feces, bites or contaminated food. Host Range: Mainly rodents, humans, monkeys and other animals.

Risk analysis : LCMV (cont d) Research team to use laboratory adapted strains: Armstrong Clone 13 Foster et al. Emerg Infect Dis. 2006 May http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/eid/vol12no05/05-0794-g.htm Attenuated strains, but clone 13 persistently suppresses the CTL response in mice. Risk assessment from CFIA and PHAC presented as a poster in 2007!

Risk analysis : Pichindé virus Arenaviridae 2 negative-sens ssrna segments Model arenavirus used for its biosafety. Infectious for humans (sero-conversion), but no distinct illness associated with the infection To be used with LCMV infected mice.

Risk Analysis Summary Risk Factors RG1 RG2 RG3 RG4 Pathogenicity/Virulence Infectious Dose Mode of Transmission / Route of Infection Ability to spread Environmental Persistence Host Range Endemicity Economic/Social Consequences Low Risk Moderate Risk High Risk Very High Risk Prophylaxis/Therapeutics Vectors Recombinants

Risk Analysis Summary (cont d) Risk Factors RG1 RG2 RG3 RG4 Pathogenicity / Virulence Infectious Dose? Mode of Transmission / Route of Infection Ability to spread Environmental Persistence Host Range : Influenza (PR8 & X-31) : LCMV (ARM & 13) : C. difficile

Risk Analysis Summary (cont d) Risk Factors RG1 RG2 RG3 RG4 Endemicity Economic / Social Consequences Prophylaxis / Therapeutic treatments Vectors Recombinants N/A N/A : Influenza (PR8 & X-31) : LCMV (ARM & 13) : C. difficile

Risk Analysis Summary (cont d) Risk Factors Pathogenicity / Virulence Infectious Dose RG1 RG2? RG3 RG4 : Influenza (PR8 & X-31) : LCMV (ARM & 13) Mode of Transmission / Route of Infection : C. difficile Ability to spread Environmental Persistence Host Range Endemicity Average : RG 2 ½ Econ. / Soc. Consequences Prophylaxis / Therapeutics Vectors / Recombinant N/A

Risk Analysis Summary (cont d)

Enhanced Physical CL2 with CL3 Operational Practices Physical aspects Mandatory training by the BSO Restricted access (magnetic card) Access granted only upon completion of Training HEPA filtered ventilated containment cages, negative pressure All cage openings and work with infected animals in BSC, on disinfectant-imbibed paper

Enhanced Physical CL2 with CL3 Operational Practices (cont d) Operational Aspects Specific entry and exit procedures 2 levels of Protective Clothing: When entering Soiled Quarantine (1 st step PPE): bonnet + shoe-covers + cover-all + 1 st pair of gloves When entering the housing room, add on the 1st step PPE: disposable waterproof lab coat + moon-boots + disposable sleeves + 2 nd pair of gloves + Respiratory protection with N95 mask Seasonal influenza vaccination recommended

Enhanced Physical CL2 with CL3 Operational Practices (cont d) Operational Aspects: Emergency card Recto Verso

Acknowledgements Research teams of Benoît Leblanc 2007 Pr. Martin Richter, Pr. Subburaj Ilangumaran and Pr. Louis-Charles Fortier Central Animal Facility Management and their staff, particularly Mr. Alain Gauthier, Dr. Michel Talbot and Ms. Annie Vaillancourt