The Jackson Laboratory DOES NOT have MHV - evidence from our recent intensive testing efforts
(for additional information, please see addendums 1, 2 & 3)
JAX® Bulletin #3
August 25, 1999
A COMMUNICATION FROM THE JACKSON LABORATORY ANIMAL HEALTH STAFF: Peggy J. Danneman, VMD, MS, dip ACLAM (Acting Director of Laboratory Animal Health), James R. Fahey, PhD, DVM, dip ACVM (Head of Diagnostic Laboratory), Terrie Cunliffe-Beamer, DVM, MS, dip ACLAM (Head of Clinical Laboratory Animal Medicine), John P. Sundberg, DVM, PhD, dip ACVP (Head of Pathology, Senior Staff Scientist)
It has come to our attention that several institutions throughout the United States have recently experienced as yet unexplained outbreaks of mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) infection.
The Jackson Laboratory supports a rigorous infectious disease monitoring program which has shown that JAX® Mice have NOT been infected with MHV for over 18 years. In response to two customer calls concerning MHV, we recently initiated a comprehensive testing program to investigate the possibility of an undetected MHV infection in our mouse colonies.
The majority of our testing has now been completed. The results by serological, histological, and epidemiological testing definitively show that we DO NOT have an MHV infection at The Jackson Laboratory.
An overview of MHV testing and summary of results can be found by going to the JAX® Mice home page at www.jax.org/jaxmice; choosing "Animal Health" from the main menu; then choosing "No MHV at The Jackson Laboratory". If you would like us to mail you a copy of the document summarizing our MHV test results, please call 1-800-422-MICE.
