A viral disease transmitted from animals (e.g. dogs, cats, ferrets, skunks, bats, raccoons) to other animals or humans. Rabies infects the central nervous system, ultimately causing disease in the brain and death if early treatment is not provided. It is transmitted into bite wounds, open cuts in skin, or onto mucous membranes from saliva or other infectious material (e.g. neural tissue).
Rabies
Rack
Shelving unit or any other unit used to house animals and/or supplies. All racks should be identified with stenciled numbers/letters placed in the upper right hand corner of the rack. Side A and Side B will be labeled.
RCA
Research Compliance Associate.
REAL
Refinement & Enrichment Advancements Laboratory; a division of the Unit for Laboratory Animal Medicine.
Recommended Records
Those records that are not mandated (unless described in the protocol). However, generating and maintaining these records is highly recommended.
- Experimentally induced disease/research records
- Breeding records
Record of Disposition
A record of the death, euthanasia, transfer, sale, adoption, or donation of an animal.
Records from Vendor
Health information/medical history that arrives with the animal. This is incorporated into the animal's permanent medical record.
Rectal
Administration of substances into the rectum.
Red or Contaminated Rooms
Animals in rooms known to be contaminated with a virus, parasite or bacteria. Red sign indicates the contamination status and is placed on the door.
Reintroduction
Re-pairing two non-human primates who had previously been housed together but were separated for various reasons (study purposes, medical issues, etc.).
Relative Humidity (rH)
A measure for the amount of water vapor in the air.
Replicate Organism Detection and Counting (RODAC)
Agar plate used to detect and quantify the presence of microorganisms.
Reports
Reports are verbal or written notices of concern relating to aspects of the U-M Animal Care & Use Program. The reports may be associated with, for example, animal well-being, compliance with federal regulations, and/or program safety.
REQ
Procedures that begin with (REQ) indicates the procedure is required to be followed by all ULAM personnel and laboratories providing internal daily husbandry care. All other procedures not beginning with (REQ) are still required to be followed by ULAM personnel but may not be adopted by laboratories providing internal daily husbandry care.
Required Records
Those records that must be maintained by investigative personnel:
- Health/group health records are required if the laboratory personnel are performing any part of the monitoring and care of a non-research-related clinical condition under the direction of the veterinary staff.
- Surgical/anesthetic/sedation records are required for all animals undergoing those procedures.
- Post-operative monitoring records are required for all animals undergoing survival surgery.
- Tumor monitoring records must be maintained as described in the animal use protocol for all animals with experimentally induced tumors
- Food and water restriction records are required for all animals undergoing such restriction as per the animal use protocol and the Guidelines on Experimental Food or Water Restriction or Manipulation in Laboratory Animals.
- Records of disposition are required for all cats and dogs.
Research Cause
A condition the lab is expecting or occurs due to their study.
Reservior
Receptacle that is part of the Chlori-Flush station that holds the bleach solution.
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
Public law that includes the proper management of hazardous and non-hazardous waste disposal.
Restriction
A limitation placed on an animal's access to food or water. It can be described in terms of either the amount of food or water provided on a daily basis (volume or weight) or the amount of time daily that an animal is given access to food and/or water.
Reverse Osmosis (RO) Water
A water purification technology that uses a semipermeable membrane to remove ions, molecules and larger particles from drinking water; safe for use with frogs and fish. Salt will be added to this water to ensure appropriate conductivity levels as described above
Rodent Export Coordinator
The member of the ULAM Rodent Health Surveillance Team responsible for coordinating the export of rodents to other institutions or commercial vendors.
Rodent Health Surveillance Team (RHST)
Personnel responsible for maintaining and verifying healthy colony status within ULAM and laboratory managed rodent colonies. Email address: ULAM-RHST@umich.edu
RPV
Rat Parvovirus.
Safety Data Sheet (SDS)
Detailed informational document prepared by the manufacturer of a hazardous chemical describing the physical and chemical properties of the chemical.
Sanitize
To reduce the number of bacterial contaminants on an object or surface.
SC
Subcutaneous.
SCID Mouse
Severe Combined Immunodeficient mouse that has no T or B Cells.
Sedated Physical Examination
Complete examination performed while the non-human primate is sedated.
Sedation
Central depression causing stupor where the animal is unaware of its surroundings but still responsive to painful procedures.
Self-Latching Alarm
An alarm that is remembered by a sensor after it has been activated. The Dräger sensor does not remember the alarm once the concentration reaches 0 PPM and would be non-self-latching.
Serious Noncompliance
Serious noncompliance is any noncompliant event that has a negative impact on the welfare of an animal and/or is in direct violation of a federal standard regulating animal activities, including provisions of the Occupational Health and Safety Program. For more information, please see Appendix 1 of the Policy on Investigating Noncompliance and Animal Welfare Concerns.
Severe Combined Immunodeficient (SCID)
Animals that are deficient in B and T lymphocytes.
Sharps
Objects or devices having acute rigid corners, points, or edges capable of causing injury.
Shipping Container
Plastic or cardboard filtered box that SPF or conventional animals are shipped in. Other species are shipped in appropriate containers regulated by the Animal Welfare Act.
Short-Term Personnel
Short-Term Personnel are defined as individuals participating in a research or learning activity for 30 or fewer consecutive days (1 month) or 15 or fewer total days over a six-month period.
- The intent is to permit an educational event, such as a visiting scientist sharing procedural knowledge or a summer student doing a rotation; the role of short-term personnel should not be used to fill employment gaps.
Silage
Fodder, such as hay or corn, converted into succulent feed for livestock through processes of anaerobic bacterial fermentation (as in a silo).
Single Incident
In the event more than one issue is identified during a Quality Assurance visit, those issues collectively will be considered a single incident.
Small Animal
Mouse, rat, gerbil, hamster, guinea pig, chinchilla, degu, ferret, and rabbit.
Small Ruminant
Sheep and goats.
Social Housing Records
All records pertaining to the introduction of new pairs or groups, regular observations of stable groups/pairs, and animals exempt from social housing.