Quarantine and surveillance of lab animals MCQs With Answer

Quarantine and surveillance of lab animals MCQs With Answer

This quiz set is designed for M.Pharm students to deepen understanding of quarantine protocols, surveillance strategies, diagnostic interpretation and statistical considerations in laboratory animal colonies. Questions emphasize practical decision-making: quarantine duration and release criteria, sentinel program design, environmental monitoring, diagnostic test selection and performance, rederivation approaches, and biosecurity measures. Students will practice applying epidemiological concepts such as prevalence versus incidence, sampling strategies to detect low-prevalence infections, and interpretation of test sensitivity, specificity and agreement statistics. The intent is to build applied competence for managing animal health risks in research settings, ensuring reliable experimental results and regulatory compliance.

Q1. What is the primary purpose of quarantining newly acquired laboratory animals before introduction into the main colony?

• To allow animals to acclimate to experimental procedures
• To prevent introduction of infectious agents into the existing colony
• To increase breeding efficiency
• To reduce the need for record keeping

Correct Answer: To prevent introduction of infectious agents into the existing colony

Q2. For most rodents in barrier facilities, what is the commonly recommended quarantine duration to detect acute and many subacute infections?

• 2–3 days
• 1–2 weeks
• 2–4 weeks
• 6 months

Correct Answer: 2–4 weeks

Q3. Which statement best defines the role of sentinel animals in a surveillance program?

• Animals used exclusively for breeding purpose
• Animals placed in contact with soiled bedding or environment to detect infectious agents circulating in a colony
• Animals that receive all experimental treatments as controls
• Animals donated to other institutions

Correct Answer: Animals placed in contact with soiled bedding or environment to detect infectious agents circulating in a colony

Q4. Which rederivation method is most effective for establishing a pathogen-free rodent colony from an infected line?

• Antibiotic treatment of breeding pairs
• Embryo transfer or cesarean rederivation into pathogen-free foster mothers
• Prolonged quarantine without testing
• Supplementing feed with probiotics

Correct Answer: Embryo transfer or cesarean rederivation into pathogen-free foster mothers

Q5. Which surveillance assay is most appropriate to detect prior exposure of a colony to a viral agent?

• Culture on bacterial media
• Serology (ELISA or IFA) for antibody detection
• Gram staining of fecal smears
• Routine hematology only

Correct Answer: Serology (ELISA or IFA) for antibody detection

Q6. How does prevalence differ from incidence in the context of infectious disease surveillance in animal colonies?

• Prevalence measures only new cases over time; incidence measures total cases at a point in time
• Prevalence is proportion of animals infected at a given time; incidence is rate of new infections over a defined period
• They are interchangeable terms
• Prevalence measures pathogen load; incidence measures antibody titre

Correct Answer: Prevalence is proportion of animals infected at a given time; incidence is rate of new infections over a defined period

Q7. Which describes active surveillance compared with passive surveillance in laboratory animal populations?

• Active surveillance relies solely on voluntary reporting of clinical cases
• Active surveillance involves proactive, scheduled sampling and testing to detect agents even without reported disease
• Active surveillance uses only historical records and no diagnostics
• They are the same; both mean monitoring through sentinel animals

Correct Answer: Active surveillance involves proactive, scheduled sampling and testing to detect agents even without reported disease

Q8. Why is meticulous record keeping essential during quarantine and surveillance periods?

• It primarily improves animal comfort scores
• It provides traceability for epidemiologic investigation, audit compliance and outbreak control
• Records can be discarded after release
• It replaces the need for diagnostic testing

Correct Answer: It provides traceability for epidemiologic investigation, audit compliance and outbreak control

Q9. Which two analytic characteristics are most important when validating a diagnostic test for surveillance?

• Turnaround time and color of reagents
• Sensitivity and specificity
• Cost per test and font size on the report
• Sample container color and shipping time

Correct Answer: Sensitivity and specificity

Q10. Which practice is NOT appropriate as a component of a quarantine program intended to protect a colony?

• Physical isolation of incoming animals
• Diagnostic testing during and prior to release
• Immediate release of animals to the colony without testing or observation
• Staff training on biosecurity and PPE use

Correct Answer: Immediate release of animals to the colony without testing or observation

Q11. Which of the following is an example of passive surveillance in a laboratory animal facility?

• Routine scheduled serology of sentinels
• Regular environmental PCR swabs performed by facility staff
• Reports of clinical disease or necropsy findings submitted by animal care staff
• Prospective cage-to-cage sampling for targeted pathogens

Correct Answer: Reports of clinical disease or necropsy findings submitted by animal care staff

Q12. If you need 95% confidence of finding at least one infected animal in a population with low expected prevalence, what is the sampling implication?

• A single randomly selected animal is sufficient
• Smaller sample sizes increase detection probability
• Larger sample sizes are required as expected prevalence decreases
• Sampling is unnecessary if animals appear clinically healthy

Correct Answer: Larger sample sizes are required as expected prevalence decreases

Q13. Which environmental monitoring approach best complements animal testing to detect circulating respiratory agents?

• Weighing feed hoppers daily
• Air and surface sampling with PCR or culture in animal rooms and cages
• Counting cage changes per week
• Measuring room light intensity

Correct Answer: Air and surface sampling with PCR or culture in animal rooms and cages

Q14. Under which circumstance is euthanasia of an index animal in quarantine typically indicated from a surveillance and humane perspective?

• Only when the animal is genetically distinct
• When the animal has reached a predefined humane endpoint or when prompt post-mortem diagnostics are needed to protect the colony
• Never; animals must always be returned to the colony
• Only to reduce quarantine housing costs

Correct Answer: When the animal has reached a predefined humane endpoint or when prompt post-mortem diagnostics are needed to protect the colony

Q15. Which combination best represents appropriate criteria for releasing animals from quarantine?

• Completion of a fixed time period alone with no clinical assessment
• Clinical examination, absence of clinical signs, and negative results on required diagnostic tests after the observation period
• Owner request and payment of fees
• Transfer of animals to another facility without testing

Correct Answer: Clinical examination, absence of clinical signs, and negative results on required diagnostic tests after the observation period

Q16. What is the rationale for transferring soiled bedding from colony cages to sentinel cages in many rodent surveillance programs?

• To reduce bedding costs
• To deliberately expose sentinels to pathogens shed in the colony so chance of detection increases
• To clean the colony cages more thoroughly
• To enhance sentinel reproduction rates

Correct Answer: To deliberately expose sentinels to pathogens shed in the colony so chance of detection increases

Q17. In comparing PCR and serology for surveillance, which statement is most accurate?

• PCR detects antibodies while serology detects nucleic acid
• PCR detects current presence of pathogen nucleic acid; serology indicates prior exposure or immune response
• Both tests have identical windows of detection and interpretation
• Serology is always more sensitive than PCR for acute infections

Correct Answer: PCR detects current presence of pathogen nucleic acid; serology indicates prior exposure or immune response

Q18. What is an important trade-off when pooling samples for high-throughput PCR surveillance?

• Pooling increases per-sample cost but increases sensitivity
• Pooling reduces laboratory throughput and accuracy
• Pooling increases cost and turnaround time
• Pooling reduces cost and increases efficiency but can reduce sensitivity, risking false negatives at low pathogen load

Correct Answer: Pooling reduces cost and increases efficiency but can reduce sensitivity, risking false negatives at low pathogen load

Q19. Which biosecurity practice is most critical for staff entering a quarantine suite to prevent cross-contamination?

• Wearing the same gloves used in other areas
• Use of dedicated PPE and footwear for the quarantine area with appropriate donning and doffing procedures
• Bringing personal mobile phones into the animal room
• Allowing visitors unrestricted access to cages

Correct Answer: Use of dedicated PPE and footwear for the quarantine area with appropriate donning and doffing procedures

Q20. Which statistical measure is most appropriate to quantify agreement beyond chance between two diagnostic tests used in surveillance?

• Mean and standard deviation
• Kappa statistic
• Proportion of positives only
• Incidence rate ratio

Correct Answer: Kappa statistic

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