1 Comments
The NIH Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW) is deeply concerned about the impact of the expanding outbreak of the respiratory illness, COVID-19, on the ability of Assured institutions to support the well-being of animals and personnel during this public health emergency.
See NOT-OD-20-088 for flexibilities provided in the Public Health Service (PHS) Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (Policy) that are applicable to implementing a pandemic plan for animal care and use programs.
This situation is deeply impacting on ongoing experimental protocols and rodent colonies on which depend most of our research. Our rodent colonies are now reduced to two cages of makes and females (youngest and genotyped). It will take at least 7 months before our colonies start to deliver the needed number of transgenic or knockout rodents for funded research projects.