COMPARISON OF DIFFERENT METHODS FOR ECTOPARASITE INFESTATION DETECTION IN LABORATORY BRED ANIMALS AND STANDARDIZATION OF THEIR HEALTH CERTIFICATE

In order to study external parasites of laboratory reared animals at Razi institute, different methods including brushing of animal's surface body, cellophane tape of body surface, peri-anal cellophane tape test (CTT) and skin scrapings and digestive method were applied and collected samples were studied. In addition, field collected rats were tested using brushing method. One mouse had been infested by some mites. Rabbits, rats, mice and guinea pigs had not been infested with external parasites. Field collected rats had been highly infested with mites from the family Laelapidae. The, brushing method was confirmed to be a useful method for mite detection. According to the methods used in this study and these recommended by SOP from international animal breeding centers the CTT method was proposed to be useful for preparing health certificate of laboratory animals at the department of laboratory animal breading at Razi institute.