Animal Testing for Immunocompetence - Essay Example

Animal Testing for Immunocompetence Immunocompetence is a term which refers to the process by which organisms or animals activate their immune systems to fight or defend against attack by foreign bodies. Animals are part of these organisms, and there are various ways of animal testing for Immunocompetence. Clinical animal testing is the most commonly used whereby drugs are administered into the animals, and observation are made. Such testing can include skin test which provides information on the circulation of the responsible white cells in the process of protecting wounds in animals.

In my thinking, these tests and others are somewhat effective but applying them to humans first in order to get a first-hand feedback can help in implementation of the tests since animals can not explain about the side effects which are not observable (Smits, Bortolotti & Tella,1999). Tests for the ability of animal’s body to detect foreign bodies and fight against them need not only be carried out in laboratories. Observing nutrition is a key element in the attempt of maintaining an organism’s Immunocompetence.

It is my view that nutrient limitation or extension such as lack of enough protein can really bring down the Immunocompetence of an animal. Lack of the required diets can be used as a test of defining some diseases attacking the animals and the reasons behind it (Møller, Milinski & Slater, 1998). Another option for testing the Immunocompetence for animals is also through observing external circumstances which confront the animals’ immune system. This can be through testing the food they eat and water they drink.

Contact with other infected animals can also be put as a crucial consideration in such tests which do not necessarily, involve the animal (Fox, 2002) From the above tests, a crucial message is gained in that animals do not necessarily have to go through clinical tests to assess their immunity competence, but it can also be done indirectly by observing their diet, ensuring uncontaminated feed is given to them and also through checking the health of the other associative animals. References Divers, T. J., & Peek, S. F. (2008).

Rebhuns diseases of dairy cattle. St. Louis: Saunders Elsevier. Fox, J. G. (2002). Laboratory animal medicine. Amsterdam: Academic Press. In Møller, A. P., In Milinski, M., & In Slater, P. J. B. (1998). Stress and behavior. San Diego, Calif: Academic Press. Institute for Laboratory Animal Research (U.S.), & National Research Council (U.S.). (1999). Microbial and phenotypic definition of rats and mice: Proceedings of the 1998 US/Japan Conference. Washington, D.C: National Academy Press. Smits, J. E., Bortolotti, G. R., & Tella, J. L. (1999).

Simplifying the phytohaemagglutinin skin‐ technique in studies of avian immunocompetence. Functional Ecology, 13(4), 567-572.