Assistant Laboratory Animal Technician (ALAT) Practice Exam

What is the term for the separation of newly received rodents from those already in the facility until the microbial status has been determined?

1. Isolation

2. Quarantine

3. Segregation

4. Containment

The correct answer is: Quarantine

The correct term for the separation of newly received rodents from those already in the facility until their microbial status has been determined is "Quarantine." Quarantine is a critical biosafety practice in laboratory animal care, used to prevent the potential introduction of pathogens that might affect the health of existing animals or compromise research outcomes. In this context, quarantining newly received animals allows for monitoring of their health and microbial status, ensuring any infectious diseases are identified and managed before the animals interact with the resident population. This practice helps maintain the overall health of the facility and is essential for safeguarding research integrity. While isolation, segregation, and containment might involve separating animals or controlling pathogen spread, these terms have different implications in the context of animal care. Isolation typically refers to separating sick animals from healthy ones, segregation can suggest a more general separation that does not necessarily relate to health monitoring, and containment usually pertains to keeping pathogens within a certain area to prevent their spread. Hence, quarantine is the most accurate term for the specific scenario described.