Health monitoring for fish in research - FELASA-AALAS WG

Fish, particularly Zebrafish (Danio rerio), are a growing animal model for research and have been used to answer pertinent scientific questions in a variety of biomedical research fields including developmental biology, toxicology, neuroscience, oncology and many others. The health status in fish, like other research models, can be highly impactful on the research outcomes. Therefore, development of a harmonized health monitoring program would be helpful to researchers and veterinarians at animal facilities in the US, Europe and worldwide. The working group will review existing recommendations and practices in fish health monitoring, as well as available information on pathogens and their prevalence in different geographical areas. A screening protocol considering frequency, test method, sample size, and microbiological units will be proposed. A common report form to be used internationally will be established, allowing collection of pathology and historical data, flexibility according to local needs, and triage of imports following appropriate biosecurity rules.