The gold standard of foot disinfection

The BEIC guidance recommends changing to colour-coded indoor footwear in an intermediate area before even entering the shed. This point is worth reiterating because not only is it a good way to instil the collective discipline of changing footwear, but it also helps managers (and hopefully others who care about biosecurity) to call it out when it is not happening. For example, black boots could be used outdoors, white boots in the control room and green boots in the bird area. Simply put, colour-coded boots make it very easy to identify when cross-contamination might be occurring!

Some of our clients like using our smooth-soled boots – these are ideal as poultry shed-only boots. They are calf-length, so they are easy to get on and off, and the smooth soles mean that they are much easier to clean. This reduces the likelihood of cross-contamination from crop to crop as there are no treads to harbour harmful bacteria.

Disposable overboots can add an extra layer of protection, keeping the treads on standard boots from getting clogged up. They are also ideal for visitors so it’s always a good idea to have a stash of them at hand.

There’s a saying, often used in modern poultry farming - ‘you can’t disinfect a dirty surface’ – meaning that you should really remove the dirt first, then disinfect. The same can be said for foot dips – it doesn’t make sense to put really dirty boots in the foot dip, it leaves a residue of soil behind, and it renders the disinfectant less effective. A gold-standard practice is to use a Sanigene boot cleaner, which removes the dirt and soil, before using the foot dip for disinfection. Using this inexpensive method means the disinfectant solution is effective for longer and doesn’t have to be replaced as much – not to mention the fact that the boots are cleaned more effectively!

Another practice that can further tighten biosecurity is using a disinfection mat after a foot dip. After coming out of the foot dip, stepping onto a disinfection mat set just inside the door of the shed can help to remove any last traces of contamination. This practice can be used across multiple types of livestock farms to prevent the spread of contagious diseases such as equine influenza, foot and mouth, swine flu, and obviously avian flu, as well as salmonella and campylobacter.

Choose the right disinfectant
It goes without saying that a DEFRA-approved disinfectant, such as Virex or Virophor, must be used in foot dip stations, and this must have passed both General Order and Poultry Orders. For clarification, Poultry Orders is a specific test applying the chemical against avian flu. Foot-dip disinfectant should be changed frequently or at least on a weekly basis. Both Virex and Virophor lose colour as they become less effective which is a helpful reminder to refresh the disinfectant.

Avian influenza is a fact of life for the foreseeable future and all any farmer can do is ensure that every sensible precaution has been taken to guard against it entering their farm. Even then, it is no guarantee that the farm won’t be affected by AI, but it will at least give the farmer peace of mind that absolutely everything that can be done has been done, and any additional measures will also go a long way towards guarding against other diseases that routinely affect commercial birds.

For more advice on any of the above measures, get in touch today.