The California Department of Health Services AAALAC-accredited animal care and use program supplies animal care, breeding, procurement, space, equipment, and personnel resources for the use of animals in the identification of human disease producing agents, in the production of in vitro diagnostic reagents, and for research supporting development of clinical applications of diagnostic testing. The program has a new 20,000 GSF general use facility at the Department's new Richmond Laboratories Campus. This facility was constructed according to the recommendations contained in the NRC Guide for the Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories. It is a stand-alone building separated from the laboratories by an enclosed connecting corridor. Access to the facility is controlled by card key reader and video surveillance is provided to the central security desk via internal and external video cameras. The 1500 sq. ft. ABSL3 suite consists of three animals rooms, personnel change rooms with showers and interlocking doors, a small laboratory, and central anteroom are all on a separate air handling system with HEPA-filtered exhaust. Two of the animal rooms have dedicated Type 2B2 biosafety cabinets and the third has a glovebox (Class III) biosafety cabinet. There is a pass-through autoclave between this room and the central anteroom. Animals are housed in Thoren ventilated rodent cage racks with HEPA-filter supply and exhaust air. Autoclaved animal carcass material is double-bagged, removed from the ABSL3 suite via sealed container, and disposed of in the central facility incinerator.
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