Spontaneous otitis media in Wistar rats: an overlooked pathology in otological research

The rat is commonly employed in otological research, but spontaneous ear infections can confound the results of experimental procedures—wasting time, money, and animals. The authors focus on the incidence of spontaneous otitis media in Wistar rats. They compare disease incidence in animals housed in...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Lab animal 2006-11, Vol.35 (10), p.40-44
Main Authors: Verdaguer, José María, Trinidad, Almudena, González-García, José Ángel, García-Berrocal, José Ramón, Ramírez-Camacho, Rafael
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal Husbandry - methods
Animal Models
Animals
Animals, Laboratory
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay - veterinary
Evoked Potentials, Auditory
Female
Incidence
Life Sciences
Otitis Media with Effusion - diagnosis
Otitis Media with Effusion - epidemiology
Otitis Media with Effusion - pathology
Otitis Media with Effusion - veterinary
Rats
Rats, Wistar
research-note
Rodent Diseases - diagnosis
Rodent Diseases - epidemiology
Rodent Diseases - pathology
Veterinary Medicine/Veterinary Science
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Summary:The rat is commonly employed in otological research, but spontaneous ear infections can confound the results of experimental procedures—wasting time, money, and animals. The authors focus on the incidence of spontaneous otitis media in Wistar rats. They compare disease incidence in animals housed in standard cages with those housed in barrier units, showing that 20% of their conventionally housed animals developed spontaneous otitis media, whereas only 5% of their animals housed in isolated units were infected. These results underscore the importance of strict control of the shipping, housing conditions, and manipulation of animals to be used in otological research.
ISSN:0093-7355
1548-4475
DOI:10.1038/laban1106-40