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OCR for page 127
X Personnel
A. GENERAL COMMENTS
The personnel requirements for a facility maintaining amphibians are not
essentially different from those for other laboratory animal facilities.
Therefore, pages 15-17 of the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory
Animals (Committee on Revision of the Guide for Laboratory Animal
Facilities and Care, 1972) should be consulted. However, insofar as we
know, except for The University of Michigan, no other institution rou-
tinely trains veterinarians in the care and management of amphibians as
laboratory animals. This training results from collaboration between the
Unit for Laboratory Medicine and the Amphibian Facility. Consequently,
it is doubtful that the recommendations for personnel as given in the
above Guide and calling for direction by veterinarians can be met at
present. Until this situation changes it seems more realistic that direc-
tion of an amphibian facility should reside with a staff member ex-
perienced in amphibian biology and reproduction and who is advised
by a veterinarian experienced in laboratory animal medicine. The
former assures that the real differences between amphibian husbandry
and the husbandry of other laboratory animals are clearly recognized;
the latter assures that well-known and standardized practices that are
applicable are followed.
Similar circumstances apply with respect to animal technologists. Cur-
rently, no formal training or certification is available for animal technol-
ogists wishing to specialize in amphibian care. Although arrangements
can be made for technical personnel to gain experience with amphibians
at the Amphibian Facility of The University of Michigan, the availability
of personnel trained there will remain limited for the immediate future.
In the absence of specific training programs it has been found that, for
127
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128
both academic and commercial establishments concerned with the han-
dling of amphibians, certain criteria are of value in selecting personnel.
Among these criteria are adaptability, sensitivity to animals as frequently
revealed by those with animal hobby interests, and an understanding that
work schedules require the assignment of duties on a 24-in-a-day, 7-days-a-
week basis. The need for insect as well as amphibian husbandry requires
regular attention on weekends. In the absence of training that inculcates
the concept of this requirement, weekend duties too frequently must be
met by the operating managers.
Other aspects of personnel management are not unique but are of ma-
jor importance and managers of facilities would be well advised to develop
expertise as now understood by specialists in this area (D'Ver, 1973~.
B. SAFETY HAZARDS
1. Physical
Among the relatively few hazards in an amphibian facility, the greatest
danger is posed by the extensive use of water and of electrical appliances
in the same work areas. Each member of the staff must be trained and
alerted to the potential dangers, and electrical installations must be made
by professionals who are aware of the nature of the facility and of this
hazard.
Other hazards result from the prevalence of water and the height of
cage racks. All Door and ladder surfaces should be constructed of or
covered with "nonskid" materials and attention should be given to re-
ducing the numbers of Warp corners or devices that might prove dan-
gerous should personnel fall against them. The use of "nonskid" foot-
wear is also recommended.
2. Biological
Diseases transmitted from animals to man are known as zoonoses. The
peril to humans by contact with North American amphibians is con-
sidered so minimal that experiments with living anurans and urodeles
constitute part of the biology curriculum of almost all high schools,
colleges, and universities. However, researchers and teachers should be
aware that most amphibians obtained from commercial sources are wild-
caught (see Chapter III, Section B.2) and, like all animals taken from
nature and many household pets, may harbor etiological agents for dis-
eases infectious to man (Van der Hoeden, 1964; Schwabe, 1969; Benen-
son, 1970~. Accordingly, it seems prudent to instruct all personnel
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129
working with amphibians to wear protective gloves if they have cuts
and cracks on their hands, not to touch mucous membranes while working,
and to wash their hands carefully after handling amphibians.
Chapter IX, Section C describes the herpesvirus associated with a preva-
lent renal tumor that afflicts R. pipiens. There is no evidence at this time
to suggest that humans are susceptible to infection by frog viruses that
would result in a neoplasm or any other disease. While this is true, lab-
oratory staff exposed to frog viruses should be alerted to possible risks
and methods of avoiding them. It is recommended that personnel who
are exposed to tumor virus preparations be trained in microbiological
technique and in the correct handling and disposal of infected animals.
Particular precautions should be observed by pregnant staff (Chesterman,
1967~. Hazards from working on oncogenic viruses and preventive measures
that afford protection are discussed in a manual edited by Hellman (1969)
and in a recent book by Hellman, Oxman, and Pollack (1973~. The former
should be read by all personnel prior to beginning work with any onco
. .
genlc virus.
Workers should also be alerted that some exotic amphibians produce
highly dangerous skin secretions (Albuquerque et al., 1971; Daly and
Witkop, 1971), and some produce secretions that, although not toxic,
may be irritating. Personnel should be warned when such animals are
brought to the laboratory, the animals should be clearly labeled, and the
use of protective gloves and careful washing specifically encouraged.
The use of live insects or insect products as well as the presence of ani-
mals that splash lead to the production of dusts and aerosols that may be
allergenic. Personnel should be made aware of this, particularly in refer-
ence to diagnosing skin and nasopharyngeal conditions. Although few
instances have been reported, allergic responses in amphibian quarters
may be expected as the number of installations increases.
OCR for page 130
Representative terms from entire chapter:
laboratory animals
