Thompson’s tip: Drying out after disinfection

Cleaning and disinfection are an essential part of successful disease control, preventing or reducing the transfer of infection from one batch of pigs to the next. However, drying out of pens is a frequently-neglected part of the process, says Paul Thompson, veterinary consultant to pig-breeding company ACMC Ltd.

Systematic drying after cleaning and disinfection significantly improves the kill rates for many bacteria and viruses. Rooms need to be given time to dry out thoroughly and, in cold weather, it may be necessary to provide some additional heating to achieve this, he points out.