UPDATE (October 1, 2008):  Serology reports for all mice (barrier and non-barrier) housed in University facilities are negative for Clostridium piliforme (Tyzzer's Disease).  We will continue to update this site as new information becomes available.    

UPDATE (September 30, 2008)

All Investigators utilizing rats:

PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION CONCERNING THE SCHEDULE FOR DEPOPULATING RATS FROM THE BSB ANIMAL FACILITY BY NOVEMBER 1, 2008; AND THE REQUIRED LABORATORY SANITATION PROCEDURES. 

Please read carefully the following detailed information concerning the widespread Tyzzer’s (Clostridium piliforme) outbreak (*) in the BSB facility which was presented at the meetings held on 9/23/08 and 9/24/08.  Because this bacteria is a spore former, the residual spores will cause recontamination unless we have full support from the research staff.  Signficant Information on Tyzzer's Disease

Requirements of PI & Lab personnel:

1)      Principal Investigator must identify one laboratory person who will be responsible for laboratory sanitation.  Forward the name of this person to donna-rayl@uiowa.edu. 

2)      Comprehensive sanitation must be performed immediately, then after every time an animal is in the laboratory, until further notice.  Sanitation frequency of the laboratory should be documented.

3)      By November 1, 2008:  Utilize and euthanize existing rats housed in BSB non-barrier facilities

4)      New orders for additional rats accepted when:

a.       Existing rats in contaminated rooms are all euthanized; AND

b.      Laboratory and equipment are properly sanitized with 0.3% bleach solution or autoclaving  at 80C for 30 minutes

(See Revision of the "Sanitation Expectations" document BELOW; contact donna-rayl@uiowa.edu with questions or to have laboratory reviewed)

c.       New orders will be accepted for acute procedures at any time. 

5)      All newly arriving rats will be housed in barrier facilities in BSB .  Laboratory personnel must contact OAR to transfer animals from the barrier housing.  Please order animals out of the barrier by 11:00 AM the day prior to needing them.  Call the main office at 5.7985.  The animals will be placed in a room accessible to research staff.  Barrier procedures will be in effect in all rat rooms.  Procedures will be posted and gowns, gloves, booties, and sterilant spray will be available at the door of each rat room.

6)      Procedures for entry into contaminated rooms will be posted on the door:

a.       The cart (including its wheels) used to transport animals must be bleached after each use.

b.      The covers used to transport the cage units must be disposed of or autoclaved after each use.

c.       The cart by the washroom at BSB where dirty cage units are returned must be placed under the provided drape

d.      Lab coats and gloves must be worn upon entry of animal rooms. Gloves are to be removed when leaving the animal room and lab coats must be laundered frequently or be disposable (one time use only).

New OAR Procedures:

1)      Existing contaminated rat rooms will be consolidated as the populations decrease.  Empty rooms will be decontaminated and prepared for future barrier rat housing.

2)      All existing cages and racks will be bleach dunked at each cage washing.  This will continue until new caging arrives.  New caging will be autoclavable.

3)      New Thoren caging (similar to existing mouse containment caging system) is ordered and should arrive early October.  It will replace ALL existing rat caging in all housing locations on campus.  Initially, the cages with filter tops will be housed on standard shelves until the ventilated racks arrive, which will be approximately six months.

4)      We will continue a stepped up sentinel monitoring program.  Results will be posted on this site as they are received.

5)      All rats housed in Thoren caging at all UI facilities will be charged Barrier rates, effective July 1, 2009. 

(*) The sentinel program which monitors the health status of rats has identified infection with Tyzzer’s Disease (Clostridium piliforme) in all rooms housing non-barrier rats in Bowen Science Building.  Spores remain in the environment at room temperature and are capable of infecting animals for over a year.  Therefore, we all must remain diligent everywhere rats have been or will be utilized in research procedures at the University and possibly VA facilities. 

The above procedures must be continued for the foreseeable future…at least one year.  Actually, an occasional thorough laboratory cleaning is a good practice, as is thorough sanitizing of areas where animals have been present, each time the animals have been present.  This is doubly important because of the possibility these spores can infect other species of research animals.

Please contact OAR with any questions or if you have additional suggestions to make this eradication successful.

============================

Sanitation Expectations in the Laboratory (Clostridium piliforme = Tyzzer’s)

1. Immediately perform a thorough clean up of your laboratory areas.  Disinfect all surfaces (including transport carts & equipment) which may have had contact with rats and/or their caging with Bleach (0.3% sodium hypochlorite) for a minimum of 5 minutes contact time.

-- The lab space should be thoroughly cleaned, as stated above, after animals are brought to the lab.

2. Autoclave all instruments after utilizing them on animals in the affected rooms.  Tyzzer’s spores are inactivated by heating to 80 degrees C for 30 minutes.

3. Do not enter other rodent or rabbit rooms (in any facility) the same day after you have been in affected rooms. 

4. Use a designated lab coat for the affected areas and launder lab coats frequently. Alternately, you may use disposable gowns.

5. Lab coats and gloves must be worn upon entry of animal rooms.   Gloves are to be removed when leaving the animal room.

6.  Expected precautions if you must utilize these animals in your lab:

* Cover cages with a drape while in transit. Must use drapes only once (i.e. disposable) or they must be autoclaved after each use.

* Always handle rats from affected rooms last each day.

* Do not have animals from other rooms/ facilities in your lab at the same time as rats from the affected rooms. 

* Cover tables with disposable material where you manipulate animals so you may throw away contaminated surfaces when finished.

* Disinfect all surfaces (including transport carts, including the wheels & equipment) which may have had contact with the rats and/or their caging.  Use Bleach (0.3% sodium hypochlorite).

*Instruments must be sterilized after each use.  It would be best to designate a separate set of instruments for use on BSB rats.

7.  Do not keep empty contaminated cages in the lab.  Cover them with a drape and promptly bring them back to their respective animal housing facility. 

*The cart by the washroom at BSB where dirty cage units are returned must be placed under the provided drape. 

8.  Do not share/transfer any animals or their tissues from the affected rooms with/to other investigators.