Detection and Transmission of in Immunodeficient Mice.

The exclusion of opportunistic pathogens is important for protecting animal health and ensuring desired research outcomes in highly immunodeficient mice. has been associated with gastrointestinal tract lesions, septicemia, pyelonephritis, splenomegaly, and hepatitis and can influence select mouse models. To inform health-surveillance practices after we experienced difficulty in excluding from our mouse colony, we aimed to determine the likelihood of detecting -positive immunocompromised (SRG), immunovague (), and immunocompetent (CD1) colony mice through culture and PCR testing; to evaluate transmission via 2 sentinel-based approaches (direct contact and indirect dirty-bedding transfer); and to further characterize associated pathology.