Health Standards

Taconic Biosciences® has developed clear and harmonized health standards to meet specific research requirements. Our health standards are defined by exclusion lists, husbandry practices, and testing methods and frequency. The standards can be grouped into barrier standards (with exclusion lists) and gnotobiotic isolator standards (in which all organisms in a location are known). A core list of rodent pathogens is excluded from all Taconic health standards. These health standards range from the most stringent health standard, Taconic germ-free (GF), to Taconic murine pathogen-free (MPF) where a select list of opportunistic bacteria are tolerated.  

Need help choosing the right Taconic Biosciences health standard for your research?

Use the health standard selector to enter your exclusion list. The tool will tell you which health standards meet your requirements.

AgentsMurine Pathogen Free™
(MPF™)
Restricted Flora™
(RF™)
Opportunist Free™
(OF™)
Defined Flora
(DF)
Germ Free (GF)
MicroorganismsAccepted?Accepted?Accepted?Accepted?Accepted?

Commensal Microflora

Altered Schaedler FloraYesYesYesYesNo
Dimorphic YeastYesYesYesYesNo
MoldYesYesYesYesNo
Aerobic spore forming bacteriaYesYesYesYesNo
Anaerobic spore forming bacteriaYesYesYesYesNo
Non-spore forming rod bacteriaYesYesYesNoNo
Cocci bacteriaYesYesYesNoNo

Viruses

Kilham Rat Virus (KRV)NoNoNoNoNo
Minute Virus of Mice (MVM)NoNoNoNoNo
Mouse Encephalomyelitis Virus (TMEV/GDVII)/ Rat Theilovirus (RTV)NoNoNoNoNo
Mouse Hepatitis Virus (MHV)NoNoNoNoNo
Murine Norovirus (MNV)NoNoNoNoNo
Mouse Parvovirus (MPV)NoNoNoNoNo
Mouse Rotavirus (EDIM)NoNoNoNoNo
Pneumonia Virus of Mice (PVM)NoNoNoNoN

Rat Coronavirus (RCV)/Sialodacryoadenitis Virus (SDAV)

NoNoNoNoNo
Rat Minute Virus (RMV)NoNoNoNoNo
Rat Parvovirus (RPV)NoNoNoNoNo
Rat Polyomavirus 2 (RPyV2)NoNoNoNoNo
Rat Rotavirus (IDIR)NoNoNoNoNo
Toolan's H1 Virus (TH1)NoNoNoNoNo
Ectromelia VirusNoNoNoNoNo
Hantaan VirusNoNoNoNoNo
K VirusNoNoNoNoNo
Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus (LCM)NoNoNoNoNo
Mouse Adenovirus I and II (FL and K87)NoNoNoNoNo
Mouse Cytomegalovirus (MCMV)NoNoNoNoNo
Mouse Kidney Parvovirus (MKPV)NoNoNoNoNo
Polyoma Virus (mouse)NoNoNoNoNo
Reovirus  (Reo 3)NoNoNoNoNo
Sendai VirusNoNoNoNoNo
Thymic VirusNoNoNoNoNo
Lactate Dehydrogenase Elevating Virus (LDHV)NoNoNoNoNo

Bacteria, mycoplasma, fungi

Beta hemolytic Streptococcus (non Group D)YesNo1No1NoNo
Bordetella bronchisepticaNoNoNoNoNo
Citrobacter rodentiumNoNoNoNoNo
Clostridium piliformeNoNoNoNoNo
Corynebacterium bovisNoNoNoNoNo
Corynebacterium kutscheriNoNoNoNoNo
DermatophytesNoNoNoNoNo
Filobacterium rodentium (CAR Bacillus)NoNoNoNoNo
Helicobacter spp.NoNoNoNoNo
Klebsiella oxytocaYesNo1No1NoNo
Klebsiella pneumoniaeYesNo1No1NoNo
Mycoplasma pulmonisNoNoNoNoNo
Pasteurella multocidaNoNo1No1NoNo
Pneumocystis spp.NoNoNoNoNo
Proteus spp.YesYesNo1NoNo
Pseudomonas aeruginosaYesNo1No1NoNo
Rodentibacter heyliiNoNoNoNoNo
Rodentibacter pneumotropicusNoNoNoNoNo
Salmonella spp.NoNoNoNoNo
Staphylococcus aureusYesNo1No1NoNo
Streptococcus pneumoniaeNoNoNoNoNo
Streptobacillus moniliformisNoNoNoNoNo

Parasites

EndoparasitesNoNoNoNoNo
↳ Encephalitozoon cuniculiNoNoNoNoNo
EctoparasitesNoNoNoNoNo
Enteric HelminthsNoNoNoNoNo

1. When detected, this organism will be eliminated from the Barrier Unit via a test and cull procedure or recycling of the colony.