Systemic disease investigation and studies on pathology of spontaneous diseases of laboratory animals is a neglected area in India. Most of Indian Veterinary Pathologists only publish incidental case reports of diseases of laboratory animals. A literature survey and analysis of 195 published research papers/case reports on spontaneous diseases of laboratory mice (29), rats (53), guinea pigs (20), rabbits (80) hamsters (5) and miscellaneous (8) in India were conducted. It revealed that:
Mice: Bacterial pneumonia, Staphylococcal botryomycosis, salmonellosis, mycoplasmosis etc. are major causes of death in mice at a closed laboratory animal colony at IVRI, Izatnagar, UP. Few cases of miscellaneous pathological conditions are also reported. Mammary, lymphoid (thymic/splenic), hepatic and pulmonary tumours are common neoplasia reported in mice.
Rats: Staphylococcal abscesses, suppurative bronchopneumonia and pulmonary mycoplasmosis are common infectious diseases in rats. Compared to mice parasitic diseases are more commonly known to occur in laboratory rats. Conventional rat colonies are known to harbor heavy infestation of Toxoplasma, Cysticercus fasciolaris, Hymenolepiasis and Trichosomoides. Few cases of miscellaneous pathological conditions are also reported. Besides a variety of tumours; mammary tumours are common neoplasms reported in rats from different regions of India.
Guinea Pigs: Systemic piolet studies on guinea pig mortality and investigations on cause of deaths and diseases were conducted at India at IVRI, Izatnagar, UP in 1970 onwards. Pseudotuberculosis, salmonellosis, pseudomoniasis etc. were found to be major cause of death. Aflatoxicosis and urolithiasis are also not uncommon ailment. Compared to other neoplasms cases of a few ovarian tumours are reported in laboratory guinea pigs.
Rabbits: Mortality pattern of laboratory and farm rabbits was studied in different regions of India by several workers from time to time. Mortality in young rabbit litters, intestinal and hepatic coccidiosis, psoroptic mange, aflatoxicosis, encephalitozoonosis etc. are major fatal diseases of rabbits. Lymphosarcoma, hepatocellular carcinoma, embryonal nephroma and uterine neoplasms are frequently reported tumours in rabbits from India.
Hamsters: Polycystic liver disease was found to be major killer disease in Syrian golden hamsters in a colony at IVRI, Muk-teswar-Kumaon, Distt. Nainital, Uttarakhand.
Diagnostic Technology: Common tools used to study pathology of diseases are bacterial isolations, serology, parasitological examinations, radiology, necropsy and histopathological examinations. Only a few workers have used advanced techniques viz. SEM, IHC, Confocal Microscopy, SPECT/PET etc. in research on laboratory animal diseases. In conventional laboratory animal facilities rarely modern tools and kits are used to monitor and diagnose viral or other infectious diseases. Studies conducted at Regulatory Toxicopathology Laboratories have enhanced knowledge of diseases and pathological conditions in laboratory rats and rabbits.
