Controlling Endemic Pathogens-Challenges and Opportunities

Abstract

By most measures, the University of Utah Centralized Zebrafish Animal Resource is a successful zebrafish core facility: we house ∼4000-5000 tanks for over 16 research groups; provide services and equipment for ∼150 users; are currently undergoing an expansion by 3000 tanks; and have been praised by institutional and national regulatory agencies for the cleanliness and efficiency of our facility. In recent years, we have implemented new programs to improve the overall health of our colony and believe we have seen a reduction in apparently sick fish. However, there are still deficiencies in our monitoring and pathogen control programs. Our histopathology sample sizes have been insufficient to estimate prevalence, but our sentinel tank program reveals the presence of Pseudoloma neurophilia and myxozoan, presumably Myxidium streisinger, in our facility. As we develop protocols to further reduce the burden of disease, we are focused on defining our baseline, establishing goals, and implementing methods to monitor our progress. The data generated by this approach will allow us to evaluate and implement the most cost-effective protocols to improve fish health.

FIG. 1.

Line drawing showing the layout of the current CZAR and the expansion/renovation areas. The current CZAR (white areas) comprises large fish rooms (North and South), two microinjection rooms, a pump room, a dishwashing kitchen, fluorescent microscope room, a small quarantine room, and two offices for three full-time staff. The CZAR East expansion and renovated areas (stippled areas) provide an additional 21 racks for adult fish (CZAR East), a 15-rack nursery, an alternate light cycle room, a filtration/pump room, a third injection room, a rotifer room, mating tank setup areas, and a staging area to collect dirty dishes for transport to the kitchen. The renovation also includes upgrades to rooms near the kitchen to provide separate areas for shrimp cones, food preparation, a genotyping bench, and a room for in vitro fertilization (IVF) and sperm freezing. Stars indicate finger print access points. CZAR, Centralized Zebrafish Animal Resource.