National primate center also awarded continued, full accreditation by international organization
SAN ANTONIO (August 3, 2021) – The February 2021 winter storm was an extreme meteorological event that stressed the entire state of Texas. Texas Biomedical Research Institute (Texas Biomed), along with other animal care facilities, were focused on the health and safety of animals and team members. The Institute has a long history of providing exceptional care for our research animals.
The Institute did self-report to the National Institutes of Health Office of Lab Animal Welfare that the event resulted in non-life-threatening injuries to some baboons in our overall colony of 2,500 primates (which also includes marmosets, macaques and chimpanzees). The Institute provided immediate and exceptional veterinary care to mitigate further injury and each animal has recovered without complications.
The Department of Health and Human Services noted that the Institute’s efforts, which included supplemental heat and round-the-clock observations with more than 50 staff members sleeping overnight on campus to care for animals throughout the week, were “consistent with regulatory philosophy…and actions taken to resolve the issue were appropriate.” The Department did not find any need for further action.
In related news, the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC International) recently renewed its full accreditation status for Texas Biomed and the Southwest National Primate Research Center (SNPRC).
“The Council commends you and the staff for providing and maintaining an excellent program of laboratory animal care and use,” AAALAC’s Council on Accreditation wrote in its accreditation letter to the Institute last month.
AAALAC is an international, nonprofit organization that inspects research programs involving animals to ensure organizations not only meet minimum regulatory requirements, but go above and beyond in the care and use of animals. More than 1,000 organizations around the world voluntarily participate in AAALAC’s assessment and accreditation programs.
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About the Southwest National Primate Research Center at Texas Biomed
Texas Biomed is one of the world’s leading independent biomedical research institutions dedicated to advancing health worldwide through innovative biomedical research focused on protecting the global community from the threats of infectious diseases. The Institute is home to the Southwest National Primate Research Center (SNPRC) and provides broad services in primate research. SNPRC contributes to a national network of National Primate Research Centers (NPRCs) with specialized technologies, capabilities and primate resources, many of which are unique to the SNPRC. The Center also serves investigators around the globe with research and technical procedures for collaborative projects. For more information on Texas Biomed, go to www.TxBiomed.org or for more information on SNPRC, visit www.SNPRC.org.