Annual return of procedures

The Pirbright Institute is committed to high standards of animal care and welfare. 

Our scientists are committed to the principles of the 3Rs: Replacement, Reduction, Refinement. 

The 3Rs is central to the Institute’s values and we take seriously our responsibility to ensure that experiments are designed with the aim of avoiding the use of animals wherever possible whilst ensuring that we produce results that are of benefit to animal health and welfare in the longer term.

The impact of the work carried out by the Institute in improving the welfare of livestock in the UK and overseas is considerable. 

Therefore, the proportionate use of animals is an integral and necessary part of the research that leads to the development of useful veterinary vaccines and diagnostics. These safeguard the wellbeing of countless livestock and the livelihoods of their owners.

Total number of procedures per year

Severity categories

In the UK, all regulated procedures undertaken on animals under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA) must have the ‘actual severity’ recorded which the animal has experienced throughout the course of its experimental life, and reported to the Home Office on an annual basis.

Using those figures collected from each establishment, the Home Office produce an annual report which provides the statistics on scientific procedures on animals. These figures are published on the Home Office website.

Actual severity must reflect the highest severity of the procedure, including where the use of several lower severity procedures together or sequentially results in a higher level of severity accumulation of lesser events. The actual severity assessment is based on the real (not predicted) impact (harms).

At Pirbright, this is achieved through a ‘team approach’ by incorporating the expertise of researchers, veterinarians and animal technicians to ensure suitable welfare assessments are in place, reviewed and revised when necessary, and clearly understood by all those responsible for monitoring the animals. 

Our Project Licences have practicable and realistic humane end points which are rigorously applied; and we take all reasonable steps to ensure that animals do not exceed the severity limit in the Project Licence.

Sub-threshold

Procedures which are below the lower threshold for regulation (i.e. below the level of pain, suffering, distress or lasting harm equivalent to that caused by giving an injection according to good veterinary practice).

Mild

Procedures on animals as a result of which the animals are likely to experience short-term mild pain, suffering or distress, as well as procedures with no significant impairment of the well-being or general condition of the animals. 

At the Institute, this could include an injection (or series of injections) of a vaccine, collecting blood samples or nasal swabs. In these studies, animals are monitored at least twice daily to ensure that they are in good health.

Moderate

Procedures on animals as a result of which the animals are likely to experience short-term moderate pain, suffering or distress, or long-lasting mild pain, suffering or distress, as well as procedures that are likely to cause moderate impairment of the well-being or general condition of the animals. 

At Pirbright this could include the vaccination and infection of an animal with a virus to study the effectiveness of the vaccine. The animal may show clinical signs of disease which could include a rise in body temperature, nasal discharge, lameness etc. for a specified timeframe. In these studies, animals are closely monitored by our staff to ensure that they do not exceed the humane end points agreed within the project licence.

Severe

Procedures on animals as a result of which the animals are likely to experience severe pain, suffering or distress, or long-lasting moderate pain, suffering or distress, as well as procedures that are likely to cause severe impairment of the well-being or general condition of the animals. 

Where an animal has died and there is no information or reasonable indicative evidence to conclude why it died, then the likely suffering leading up to death cannot be determined based on an informed decision, the severe category is also applied.

Research at the Institute may include studies designed to characterise and understand the course of a virus infection, with the view to develop vaccines or other treatments. 

The clinical signs of disease to be observed would be specific to the virus but could include a fever, weight loss and behavioural changes over a specified timeframe leading to the severe category. In these studies, the frequency of inspection is increased and the animals are very closely monitored by our staff to ensure that they do not exceed the humane end points agreed within the project licence.

Non-recovery

Procedures which are performed entirely under general anaesthesia where the animal would not recover consciousness. 

At Pirbright animals could be put under general anaesthesia for the collection of blood and tissue samples, and then euthanised without ever regaining consciousness.

Additional animal statistics for 2017

Why are these Statistics not counted in the Home Office Annual Returns?

The Home Office Annual Returns detail the number of animal uses under a Project Licence. The numbers captured represent all animals which have undergone regulated procedures. A regulated procedure is one which is carried out on a protected animal for a scientific or educational purpose and may cause that animal a level of pain, suffering, distress or lasting harm equal to or above that of an injection according to good veterinary practice. Animals that make up the Additional Animal Statistics do not undergo any regulated procedures, and are thus never captured in the Annual Returns.

Why is The Pirbright Institute providing this information now?

Pirbright makes every effort for transparency in animal research. This is the first year that the Government has requested additional animal statistics (in accordance with Directive 2010/63/EU) and as such, Pirbright is providing these figures to respond to this request. As the Directive only requires this data every five years it is unclear whether such information will be requested in the future.

What was the experience of the animals reported by The Pirbright Institute in the Additional Animal Statistics?

The Pirbright Institute reported 518 domestic fowl (chickens) and 28 pigs in the Additional Animal Statistics for 2017.

The chickens lived within a laboratory environment from hatch, subject to the Code of Practice, with access to food, water and veterinary care. They were all humanely killed using an EU-approved Schedule 1 method.

Whilst blood and tissues were collected for use in scientific research from the majority of these birds, some chickens were culled due to excess between hatch and supply. However the Institute is continually striving to reduce the number of excess hatched birds. Fertility, the percentage of incubated embryos that are fertile, and hatchability rates, the percentage of fertile eggs which go on to hatch, are regularly reviewed.  Embryonated eggs are carefully monitored to study the fertility, growth and development of an embryo during incubation.

The pigs, bred at a commercial farm or licenced Establishment, were humanely killed using an EU-approved Schedule 1 method upon arriving at The Pirbright Institute. Blood, tissues and body fluids were then collected and used in scientific research.

How do animals not used in any regulated procedures contribute to research?

Animals killed for blood or tissue samples directly contribute to and are required for the Institute’s scientific research. 

For example, animal tissues such as kidney, trachea, spleen, femur, are used to prepare organ cultures which enable our researchers to measure and characterise virus replication and interactions within the host cells, red blood cells are used to assess virus concentration and white blood cells are used to investigate the immune system and responses to viral infection.

The use of blood, tissues and body fluids provides the Institute’s researchers with an alternative method of studying cells and organs in a controlled setting. They also contribute towards replacing the need to use living animals in procedures through the development of cell-based, in vitro or ex vivo, laboratory techniques, which is vital in Pirbright’s efforts to apply the principles of the 3Rs: Reduction (in numbers), Refinement (of procedures) and Replacement (with laboratory procedures).

Where can I find the statistics for the UK?

The Home Office have published a detailed report summarising the figures.