Animals used to study zoonotic diseases face particular welfare challenges from pathogen exposure, isolation requirements, and experimental infection protocols. Welfare standards in this field require specific attention.
Zoonotic disease research animal welfare faces unique challenges because biosafety requirements restrict the enrichment, social contact, and handling that improve welfare in other research contexts. Animals in high-containment facilities are isolated from familiar caregivers, restricted in movement and enrichment, and may be deliberately infected with pathogens causing disease symptoms. Welfare obligations do not diminish in high-containment settings; they require creative adaptation to remain meaningful.