Page 5 of articles about cleaning

In previous articles we have discussed the need for good cleaning and disinfection, how to clean properly and how to disinfect. Now we come to the agents used, and it is vital to realise that the right choice of detergent and disinfectant is a pivotal part of any cleaning and disinfection programme.

In the last article we looked at the need for thorough complete cleaning of a building, room or equipment in any efficient biosecurity programme. If done properly this will reduce the pathogen burden hugely as shown by a typical reduction in bacterial counts by 99%.

It is much more difficult to achieve a good quality of cleaning if the surface you are trying to clean is particularly pervious to water (for example wood) and has many cracks and hidden areas.

To many pig producers cleaning and disinfection is a chore they view as an expensive tedious burden.

The cleaning and disinfection process are critical steps in any biosecurity program in order to minimize the transmission of diseases. Washing is the most critical step of the entire process. This step will remove over 99% of the microorganisms.

Pathogens which are highly infectious and only require small doses to establish infection in susceptible pigs and/or those which are able to survive environmentally for relatively long periods can be spread from farm to farm as fomites

The PHP 160 billion hog industry is the second leading contributor to Philippine agriculture coming in second to rice despite being almost exclusively without government subsidy.

Trailers contaminated with PRRSV can serve as a source of infection for naïve pigs. Therefore, sanitation for livestock trailers and transport vehicles is considered a high priority when it comes to biosecurity practices.