Animal Health | Health monitoring that protects your research

Healthy animal colonies are the foundation of reliable science. We combine expert microbiologists, advanced diagnostics, and fully customisable programmes to help you identify and manage health threats — before they compromise your work.

What we offer

From routine sentinel screening to molecular-based environmental surveillance, we design monitoring programmes around your facility, your species, and your science.

Fully customisable programmes

Choose species, organisms, methods, and screening strategy. No hidden costs.

UK-based laboratory

Shorter transport times, results you can trust.

Advanced diagnostics

TaqMan Real-Time PCR, MALDI-ToF, VAMs, and serology.

Fast turnaround

Standard results on time, urgent analysis available in 24 hours.

Expert consultancy included

Specialist microbiologists help you act on results, not just receive them.

3Rs-aligned options

Molecular and environmental screening to reduce or remove sentinel requirements altogether.

Connect with our specialists to find tailored solutions that protect, enhance, and grow your business.

Get in touch

Screening according to FELASA recommendations

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Sentinel-free screening

Our Panoptic Package brings together expert consultancy, bespoke panel design, and flexible screening programmes into a single, fully managed partnership. Onsite assessments, online reporting, and direct access to our scientists — all under one programme.

Our Ghost Sentinel® Screening System uses Sentinel Free Soiled Bedding (SFSB) combined with high-throughput PCR and Crystal digital PCR to detect very low levels of microorganisms. Our validations have demonstrated that this method outperforms traditional sentinel animal screening, making it a powerful replacement to any monitoring programme.

Panoptic Package

The Panoptic Package is Fera's fully flexible, fully customisable animal health monitoring partnership. We take a whole-facility view — identifying gaps, designing your programme, and supporting you at every stage from implementation to result interpretation.

Mouse panels

Quarterly, annual, opportunist, and immunocompromised panels available. Includes novel agents Mouse Kidney Parvovirus and Candidatus savagella (SFB).

Rat panels

Quarterly and annual panels including Rodentibacter ratti (formerly Pasteurella pneumotropica Taxon B, Taxon 22).

Hamster and gerbil panel

Annual panel aligned to FELASA recommendations, including Clostridium difficile Real-Time qPCR.

Guinea pig panels

Annual panel covering bacteria, parasites, and viruses in line with FELASA recommendations.

Rabbit panel

Fera offer a microbiological testing service for rabbits in accordance with felasa recommendations. Talk to us to devise your own bespoke panel, with no hidden costs.

Aquatics panel

qPCR service covering viruses, bacteria, parasites, protozoa, and fungi for zebrafish and Xenopus.

Avian panel

Fera offer a microbiological testing service for Avian species utilising the latest detection, isolation and identification techniques.

3R's Panoptic Panels

Discover the Panoptic Package

Expert consultancy, bespoke panel design, and flexible screening programmes in a single fully managed partnership. Onsite assessments, online reporting, and direct access to our scientists.

Everything you need to submit samples to our UK laboratory.

Specimen collection and storage guidance

How to collect, store, and prepare samples for submission.

Health monitoring submission form

For routine and quarantine animal health monitoring submissions.

Water monitoring submission form

For total viable count and pathogen-specific water monitoring requests.

Shipping samples for animal health monitoring

Guidance on transport requirements and approved carriers.

Cell lines and biologicals submission form

For cell line and biologics contamination screening.

Aquatic services submission form

For zebrafish and Xenopus screening submissions.

Unsure which form to use? Get in touch and we will guide you through it.

Get in touch

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Environmental and biologics testing

Undetected contamination in your facility environment, cell lines, or biologics can affect your animals, your data, and your team. Our environmental testing services use validated PCR-based methods to give you confidence that what you can't see isn't putting your research at risk.

3Rs environmental panels

Screen exhaust air filters, cage swabs, and plenums using TaqMan Real-Time PCR. Fully automated, high-throughput extraction. Can replace sentinels entirely or run alongside your existing programme.

Cell lines and biologics

Screen for microbial contamination using the latest diagnostic advances. Bespoke panels, urgent 24-hour turnaround, and complimentary specialist consultancy.

Water monitoring

Total viable counts, E. coli and coliforms, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa testing. Tailored to your facility requirements.

Mite and book lice detection

Fera-designed BT trap: the first sterile trapping system for laboratory animal facilities. Early detection of mites and insects before they impact your research.