PARASITE FAUNA OF LABORATORY MICE

Mice are widely used as laboratory animals. Diagnosis of endoparasites is a necessary condition: this is a culling indicator of animals for SPF (specific pathogen free) vivariums, and for conventional vivariums, it is the necessary information for planning and the possibility of using these animals in various tests. This article describes live-time diagnostics of endoparasites in laboratory mice in SPF vivariums and in open-type vivariums. For the study, individual samples of faeces and bedding were taken from laboratory mice. Direct fecal smears were examined and the flotation method was used. The work was carried out in 2021–2022 in the Laboratory of Biology and Biological Basis of Preventive Measures of the VNIIP – FSC VIEV. During this study, the following 180 samples were taken: 138 individual faecal samples, 34 samples combined with the bedding, and 18 bedding samples. The studied samples were found to contain Giardia muris and Tritrichomonas sp., nematodes Aspiculuris tetraptera and Syphacia obvelata, and cestode Rodentolepis nana. Mixed invasions were also recorded. The results showed the need for planning work with laboratory mice in vivariums.