Experimental Animal Facilities
In order to monitor worldwide developments, the Central Veterinary Institute is part of a wide international research network. Research is carried out at the group’s own Experimental Animal Facilities and in the internationally recognised laboratory at the headquarters in Lelystad in the Netherlands. It is possible to carry out research on all species of animal, including farm animals, at the Experimental Animal Facilities, which are unique in the Netherlands (Bio Safety Level BSL 3). The research workers have access to animals with specific health statuses ranging from conventional to pathogen free. The High Containment Unit enables research to be conducted on List A diseases.
The department of Animal Care and Biotechnology is a leading player in the field of international Experimental Animal Facilities and laboratory animal expertise for the animal and livestock industry. The department is situated in a high-tech building in which a wide range of animal species can be kept, both individually and in groups, under fully climatised conditions and at various levels of containment. Careful attention is paid to quality, precision and procedures within this division, enabling strict quality criteria, such as GLP, to be adhered to.
Research requiring laboratory animal testing can be carried out at three locations in Lelystad. Each location has a different group of experts and facilities available. These facilities provide optimal conditions in which to perform high-quality experimental animal research. The department also works directly with external clients. The Experimental Animal Facilities and the laboratory itself are used for the registration of drugs (including veterinary) and vaccines, and to support research that has been carried out by clients within their own organisation. This research, as with all other research activities, is carried out in strict compliance with the WOD (Dutch Experiments on Animals Act).