The
University of Missouri Research
Animal Diagnostic and Investigative
Laboratory (RADIL)
is a diagnostic resource specializing
in the biology and diseases of animals
used in research teaching or training.
The animal component of experimentation
should be well-defined and free
from indigenous diseases that may
compromise data recovery or reproducibility.
Many diseases of laboratory animals
may not be clinically apparent.
The impact of these silent diseases
on research may not be appreciated
as such and may be attributed to
experimental treatment effects.
The Guide highlights the need for
laboratory animal diagnostic and
disease surveillance program as
a major component of adequate veterinary
care. The RADIL is a major means of meeting this
need in MU.
The RADIL is locate
in the MU Veterinary Medical
Diagnostic Laboratory in
the College of Veterinary
Medicine, and is academically
and administratively identified
with the Department of Veterinary
Pathology, Joseph E. Wagner,
Chairman. Laboratory personnel include
veterinarians trained in laboratory
animal medicine and research animal
pathology, a microbiologist and
molecular biologist, and technical
staff experienced in microbiology,
virology and serology.
The RADIL is committed
to providing quality diagnostic
services to all UM investigators
utilizing animals in experimentation,
regardless of departmental, divisional
or college affiliation. Through
the interactions of UM professional
or technical research staff with
the laboratory animal veterinarians
in OAR, samples
for examination are submitted to
the RADIL. Sample
selection is dependent on the nature
of the disease problem or query,
and consultation with the laboratory
animal veterinarians prior to sample
submission enhances the quality
of the diagnostic examination. It
is also through the OAR that the usefulness of the diagnostic
data generated by the RADIL can be maximized and applied to
solve animal health problems.
Diagnostic
examinations on rodents, rabbits
and other research animals may include
one or more of the following tests:
identification of external and internal
parasites; microbiologic examination
of the respiratory and intestinal
tract flora and of lesioned tissues
to screen for microbial pathogens;
extensive serologic testing for
antibodies to common urine viruses
and Mycoplasma spp., and histologic
examination of tissues targeted
by disease. These and other diagnostic
tests are tailored by the diagnostician
to enhance the recovery of information
from each sample. Reports of the
examinations are sent to the investigator
and to the OAR veterinarian so that colony management
decisions and adjustments to the
animal component of the research
can be made, if necessary. Consultation
with RADIL and OAR staff about
the diagnostic case results are
encouraged.
The RADIL has enjoyed
the opportunities to assist many
MU investigators with problem solving
endeavors arising from their projects.
The information generated from these
interactions has promoted better
understanding of the animal model,
and has resulted in collaborative
investigations that may not have
occurred otherwise.
Chapter
1 | Chapter
2 | Chapter
3 | Chapter
4 | Chapter
5 | Chapter
6 | Chapter
7 | Chapter
8
Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 |
