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The United States Department of Agriculture reports indicate that 98,296 hamsters were used in research, testing, teaching or experimentation in 2019, accounting for 12% of the Animal Welfare Act-covered animals used that year. About 35% of the hamsters were used in painful procedures in 2019, with 20% being used in painful procedures for which pain-relieving drugs were not administered.

Syrian (golden) hamsters are the most commonly used species, although English (black) and Chinese hamsters are used in research protocols as well. They are commonly used as research subjects because they are widely available, easy to breed, develop rapidly, have short life cycles and are susceptible to many pathogens.

Hamsters have been used in a wide variety of research areas including cancer research, infectious disease research and for behavioral studies. They have served as genetic models for human diseases including atrial thrombosis, epilepsy and muscular dystrophy. They have also been used in dental research, in studies of periodontal disease, although the development of the disease is known to differ between human and hamsters.

REFERENCES:

http://www.ccac.ca/Documents/Standards/Guidelines/Vol2/hamsters.pdf