OBJECTIVES To investigate the incidence of allergy to laboratory animals (ALA) during the first two years of employment, and to study the effect on ALA of atopy and sensitisation. METHODS A follow up prospective study of ALA at the Zeneca (formerly ICI) Research Laboratories. RESULTS The incidence of the disease during the first year of employment has remained at about 10% since the mid-198...

BACKGROUND Little is known about the relation between allergic sensitisation and subsequent long term lung function changes in working populations exposed to sensitising agents. AIMS To investigate whether exposure and work related sensitisation to laboratory animals are associated with lung function decline. METHODS The relation between exposure and sensitisation to laboratory animal aller...

BACKGROUND Family members of laboratory animal workers are at risk of developing allergy to laboratory animals. Little is known about the spreading of laboratory animal allergens outside the animal facilities. OBJECTIVE To assess the presence of laboratory animal allergens in dust collected from mattresses of laboratory animal workers and unexposed controls. METHODS Mouse and rat urinary pr...

In South Africa, the humane care and use of nonhuman animals for scientific and teaching purposes is governed by the widely accepted ethical framework of the Three Rs — i.e. the Replacement of animals by non-animal models where possible, the Reduction of the number of animals used to the minimum required to yield valid scientific results, and the Refinement of scientific procedures and animal c...

Atopy is widely used as a discriminant in selection for employment involving exposure to allergenic substances. The validity of this has been tested in a population with a known burden of what is largely considered to be an IgE mediated disease, laboratory animal allergy. The findings suggest that atopy is insufficiently sensitive and specific for this purpose and that this is probably true for...

Enhancing laboratory animal welfare, particularly in rodents, has been achieved through environmental enrichment in caging systems. Traditional enrichment such as adding objects has shown to impact development, reproductive and maternal performance as well as cognition. However, effects of increased spatial complexity as part of larger novel caging systems have not been investigated. While adop...

A survey of rabies postexposure prophylaxis administered by local health departments for a 1-year period showed that very few patients received treatment as a result of exposure to a confirmed rabid animal. Most prophylaxis was administered for contact with domestic animals in situations where existing recommendations for quarantine or laboratory testing of the animal were not followed. Because...

Animal research has played a central role in psychology, yet its clinical value and ethical propriety have recently come under attack. In an effort to assess current thinking on this controversial subject, a mail survey was sent to 5,000 randomly selected members of the American Psychological Association. Responses were received from 3,982 individuals, and the results showed (a) majority suppor...

Environmental conditions such as housing and husbandry have a major impact on the laboratory animal throughout its life and will thereby influence the outcome of animal experiments. However, housing systems for laboratory animals have often been designed on the basis of economic and ergonomic aspects. One possible way to improve the living conditions of laboratory animals is to provide opportun...

An extracranial-intracranial bypass graft was established in 16 dogs. The graft was routed deep in the lateral pharyngeal space as opposed to the subcutaneous course in front of the ear, which may be hazardous. Of 10 common carotid-middle cerebral arterial bypass grafts three were still patent four and a half, six, and 11 months postoperatively. The remaining seven arterial and six venous bypas...