Importance and need for health monitoring and microbiological standardisation in the case of laboratory rodents

The basic reasons for comprehensive health monitoring and microbiological s tandardisation in the care of laboratory animals are described. Agents that may cause clinical disease in animals and humans should be absent from lab oratory animal populations. In addition, non-pathogenic micro-organisms whi ch may be important because they detail and provides arguments for a suitab le microbiological quality of laboratory animal populations which is a prer equisite for reliable and reproducible animal experiments.