ArticleJournal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science : JAALAS2023
A Cross-sectional Survey on Rodent Environmental Health Monitoring Practices: Benchmarking, Associations, and Barriers.
Article in Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science : JAALAS, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
13 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Pooled it
- Beyond Comfort: A Review of the Critical Role of Bedding Selection in Rodent Welfare, Microenvironment, and Research Reproducibility.Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science : JAALAS · 2026Review
- Enhancing Rodent Welfare, Cost Savings, and Efficiency: Implementation and Review of Data-Driven Improvements.Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science : JAALAS · 2026Review
- Why Is the Current Monitoring of Rodentibacter spp. Exclusively by Molecular Methods Insufficient?Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science : JAALAS · 2025Article
- Evaluation of Direct Colony Sampling Compared with Sentinel-Free Soiled Bedding Testing for Murine Quarantine Programs.Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science : JAALAS · 2025Article
- Institutional Cost Savings and Improved Pathogen Detection by Replacing Sentinel Mice with Environmental Soiled Bedding Health Monitoring Methods.Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science : JAALAS · 2025Article
- Rodent Pathogen Detection via Testing of Soiled Nesting Material.Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science : JAALAS · 2025Article
- Evaluation of Sentinel-Free Soiled Bedding as a Replacement for Direct Sampling in PCR Detection of Rodent Pathogens during Quarantine.Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science : JAALAS · 2025Article
- Guidance on Establishing Health Monitoring Panels for Laboratory Mice to Reflect Contemporary Pathogen Prevalence.Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science : JAALAS · 2025Review
- A survey on the implementation of environmental health monitoring in mouse facilities in German-speaking countries.PloS one · 2025Article
- Letter to the Editor Regarding "Assessing Methods for Replacement of Soiled Bedding Sentinels in Cage-level Exhaust IVC Racks" by Eichner and Smith.Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science : JAALAS · 2024Article
- Reply to Manuel and Colleagues Letter to the Editor.Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science : JAALAS · 2024Article
- Benchmarking Enrichment Efforts in the US & Canada Across Species and Enrichment Categories.Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science : JAALAS · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
10 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Tens of thousands of rodents are used each year in Rodent Health Monitoring programs. However, Environment Health Monitoring (EHM) could replace sentinel rodent use while maintaining or even improving diagnostic quality. Despite its advantages, widespread implementation of EHM appears to be relatively low. To better understand EHM's prevalence and factors influencing its use, we surveyed research animal professionals. Our hypotheses were (1) EHM prevalence would be low and (2) EHM use would be associated with beliefs and knowledge about EHM. Participants were recruited via online promotion. A total of 158 individuals completed a mixed-methods survey about current practices, beliefs, and knowledge about EHM. Qualitative data were coded using thematic analysis and analyzed using generalized linear models. Results showed that current EHM implementation was low; only 11% of institutions used EHM exclusively. Across the 111 institutions surveyed, over 20,000 soiled bedding sentinels were used each year. However, most participants believed EHM to be advantageous in replacing sentinel animals (78% of participants). Some participants believed EHM could save time (31%), cost less (27%), and be highly accurate (15%). Conversely, some participants believed EHM would be difficult to use due to their current caging type (40%), higher costs (21%), lower accuracy (16%), and personnel attitudes/expertise (14%). Overall, respondents with higher planned EHM use also had more positive attitudes, norms, and control of EHM. We also identified several factors that could promote the implementation of EHM. Communication efforts should emphasize that EHM is compatible with various types of caging, can provide cost savings, has high accuracy, and is consistent with the 3Rs as a replacement. Efforts should also focus on improving attitudes, encouraging peers, and providing resources to facilitate implementation. Implementation in just the surveyed institutions could eliminate the need for well over 20,000 rodents each year, consistent with 3Rs goals.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.