Disinfection

Disinfection on farms seems to be a very complicated story, as the conditions are much more difficult in comparison to those we find, for instance in a hospital. On a farm, we must treat many different and more difficult surfaces. Organic contamination (e.g. dung) is usually much higher on farms, effecting the activity of disinfectants. Usually, more dangerous microorganisms (esp. viruses) are present on farms, which in turn generally leads to higher disinfection costs.

At the very least, as a "living system" the factors influencing the efficacy of disinfectants are more complicated (e.g. temperature, new animals, water quality, alkalinity of surfaces etc.).

High pressure cleaning of the area

• Disinfection starts with the right choice of product. The following criteria are important to consider:
• What is the objective of the disinfection?
• any known disease outbreak
• routine prevention at regular intervals
• site security/aerial disinfection
• particular treatment areas
• What are the corrosive properties of the product?
• Is the product performance proven?
• What is the safety profile for users, animals and the environment?
• What are the costs per surface unit (dilution and volume per m²)
• Clean and disinfect your clothing when leaving the barn.

Disinfection involves more than a single treatment with a product. Rather, it should be an integral part of a disinfection program. The following steps should be carried out in order to do a thorough job:

• First, all animals and equipment should be removed.
• Extremely dirty areas should be cleaned as much as possible and infected dirt should be burned, buried or dumped in a suitable area, where there is no risk of the material being carried back by wind, birds, rodents or insects.
• Clean and sanitise the area with HD power cleaner from the top down the walls.
• Disinfect surfaces, water systems and equipment. Use sufficient water, at least 250 ml per m²!
• Do not rinse until the recommended exposure time has expired!

Cleaning and disinfection may be time consuming...

Disinfection with hot or cold fogging equipment is becoming increasingly popular because it provides an easy and high-speed application option (approx. 1000 m² in 4 minutes). Also, areas can be covered which are difficult to reach with conventional spray equipment.

Insecticides should be always applied after the disinfection procedure to ensure the best possible residual activity.