ABSTRACT
The management of a facility housing guinea pigs is regulated by numerous governmental agencies and regulatory bodies. The federal government in the United States has three primary organizations that regulate, oversee, and accredit the use of guinea pigs in research, teaching, and testing. The oversight and internal management of the care and use of guinea pigs used in research, teaching, and testing lies with the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. Workplace exposure to zoonotic pathogens is an occupational hazard for the animal researcher and vivarium staff that must be acknowledged and addressed. A number of publications and review articles provide guidance on the occurrence and transmission of clinical disease associated with organisms harbored by common laboratory animal species. The Animal Welfare Act and Public Health Service Policy both require an occupational health and safety program be in place for personnel working with regulated research animals.
