Advanced health disinfection for protection against swine diseases
With Virkon® S - the powerful broad spectrum disinfectant
ASF is extremely dangerous due to its highly contagious characteristics, ability to be easily spread via a variety of vectors, high morbidity and mortality rates, and extreme resilience to withstand high and low temperatures. Add to this the fact that there is currently no effective treatment or vaccine available, and it is easy to understand why pig producers fear this disease.
Biosecurity substances are needed to eliminate the virus, especially on larger farms
Biosecurity is the only real way of stopping its spread. It will reduce the impact on affected farms and will be a key to clinical recovery and virus elimination, especially on larger farms. Producers need to achieve the highest possible levels of biosecurity, leveraged by good buy-in and compliance from management, their staff and their suppliers.
Especially during transport swine fever is transmitted
ASF is very good at ‘Hitching a ride’ so it spreads easily. A high proportion of spread will be by pig transportation, and so is the first target of biosecurity. However, there are many other means of spread. All other transport is a risk, from feed to dead-haul, to service vehicles, to manure removal. Perhaps the next biggest risk is from transmission via contact with wild boar. People can also be vectors, via their clothes, on their boots and equipment, or any inanimate objects they may bring onto the unit.
Holistic prevention with disinfection and extended protective measures
The virus may persist in uncooked meat products and swill for several months, and therefore could be transmitted via contaminated pig feed, or meat products ingested. Aerial spread has been demonstrated, but only over short distances and is unlikely to be a major factor.
The consequences for the economy and animal welfare can only be speculated on due to the first case in Germany. It is important to obtain up-to-date information from trustworthy sources. Find an excerpt in the column next to this running text. In the following section you will find recommendations, what can be relevant in addition to the advice and instructions of the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture to stop African swine fever on as many levels as possible.
About Virkon™ disinfection technologies
The choice of disinfectant is critical. It must be effective against the ASF virus, but also have a broad spectrum of activity against other swine pathogens.
LANXESS Virkon® S and Virkon® LSP have broad spectrum activity against organisms that cause swine diseases and are both independently proven effective against the ASF virus. Efficacy testing for Virkon® S and Virkon® LSP was conducted again by the Center for Animal Health Research (CISA) Spain in February 2020 in accordance with EN 14675 (modified to allow testing against ASFv).
| Disinfection applications |
Surfaces | Equipment | Air | Air disinfection in the presence of animals | Water pipe cleaning between the passages | Continuous water disinfection | Vehicles | Vehicle tubs | Boot tubs |
Skin |
| Virkon® S | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x |
| Virkon® LSP | x | x | x | x |
x |
Extreme economic risk due to the disease
Meat export is a hugely important industry in Germany. In 2019, 5.2 million tons of pork were produced here. Just under half of that was exported. When a single wild boar tested positive for ASF in Brandburg, exports already plummeted - especially to "third countries" (outside the EU).
„A sanitizer is the cornerstone of any biosecurity program to prevent disease. Its ability to maintain activity as winter temperatures drop is essential to safely achieve that protection.
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Stefanie Gschwandner, Head of Market Segment Disinfection
10 reasons for a central role of Virkon® S for biosecurity in pig farming
Easy to store and transport by road, rail, sea and air, no extra cost for storage or transportation.
It has been approved by governments around the world for the control of major diseases, including African swine fever, FMD, PRRS virus and PEDV.
How a 360° Biosecurity Concept for the control of african swine fever can look like
Ensure that all swine transport vehicles delivering or picking up pigs remain off the premises and are directed to the swine loading dock area.
The pig loading dock should be located at the edge of the production area, as far away as possible from the main entrance and staff parking area, and have its own access road.
It should be constructed of concrete, well lit, and have its own water supply, pressure washer, and drainage system that drains and stores water and manure from the farm. All transport vehicles picking up pigs must have been thoroughly cleaned and disinfected prior to arrival at the site. All vehicles that have not done so must be turned away and asked to leave the production site immediately.
The pig truck driver must change into clean coveralls and boots upon arrival at the loading dock and immediately use Virkon® S Disinfectant Boot Cleaner upon exiting the cab of their vehicle.
The dividing lines between the "dirty" and "clean" areas of the loading dock should be clearly separated by gates.
Drivers should not be allowed to enter the premises from the "dirty" to the "clean" side through the loading dock gates. Operations personnel who change from the "dirty" to the "clean" side or who must enter the transport trailer for any reason shall not re-enter the operations area until they have showered, changed their clothing, and sanitized their boots.
The loading dock and ramp must be dry cleaned, washed and disinfected with Biosolve® detergent and then Virkon® S disinfectant solution after each delivery and pickup of pigs.
One of the most important aspects of biosecurity is understanding and using barriers between clean (white) and dirty (black) areas. This must be done along the entire production system, for example between the loading ramp and the pig transport vehicle, between dirty and clean sides at the Danish entry system, or between the ground surface and the cabin of a feed delivery vehicle.
All relevant separation lines must be identified and correct procedures for achieving separation must be established and followed. There are many other procedures that must be followed. They include elements such as proper use of shower facilities, proper rules for leaving and re-entering the yard, disinfection of equipment upon arrival at the yard, disinfection after at-risk vehicles have been near the yard, and employee behavior when driving manure.
On an infected farm where containment measures are in place, examples of good practices include: Control of personnel movements on the farm, regular cleaning and disinfection of walkways after animals are moved, and highly effective cleaning and disinfection of the barn during occupancy changes.
Support and trust, as well as training, are a fundamental part of any biosecurity program. This must include management, farm staff, drivers, service personnel and visitors. In order for everyone involved to know what to do, everyone must understand why biosecurity is important to prevent and control ASF and how easily the virus spreads.
Biosecurity coordinators must make it a basic task to train, test, and retrain staff as necessary. One challenge is the high turnover of staff and the need to stay current. Compliance with safeguards is fundamental and non-compliance will sooner or later result in a biosecurity violation.
As vehicles are the main vector for African swine fever, the provision of well-equipped vehicle cleaning and disinfection areas is essential. Good vehicle washing facilities must allow for manure removal, ensure good cleaning and subsequent disinfection, and prevent cross-contamination at all costs. Providing drying and heating facilities for trucks after cleaning and disinfection is beneficial.
Other examples of good biosecurity tools include disinfecting arc sprays placed at the farm entrance for drive-through, off-site washing facilities for disinfection, separate pickup of dead pigs, and good entrance facilities such as personal showers or a Danish entrance system. One of the most important tools for effective biosecurity is the high-performance Biosolve™ detergent and Virkon™ disinfectant for use in the cleaning and disinfection program to achieve the highest and most protective biosecurity possible.
Washing with water alone reduces contamination by up to 60%, but using a high performance detergent reduces the original organic load by 99%. Therefore, thorough washing of all surfaces and equipment with Biosolve™ PLUS high performance detergent is essential to achieve the best results in any subsequent disinfection process.
The choice of disinfectant is critical. It must be effective against African swine fever, but also have a broad spectrum of activity against other swine pathogens, as these still need to be controlled. Virkon® S and Virkon™ LSP have a broad spectrum of activity that has been independently tested. Efficacy testing for Virkon® S and Virkon™ LSP was conducted by the Center for Animal Health Research (CISA) Spain, 2019, in accordance with EN 14675 (modified to allow testing against ASF).
| Disinfectant | Virus | Test Method | Dilution Rate | Contact Time |
| Virkon® S | ASFv | EN 14675 (modified) | 1:100 | 15 sec. |
| LSP | ASFv | EN 14675 (modified) | 1:400 | 60 sec. |
The test method used included heavy organic contamination and hard water, and was conducted at low temperature (10 ºC) and short contact times to simulate real "on-farm" conditions.
Unlike some other disinfectant chemistries, such as glutaraldehyde and GLUT/QAC mixtures, Virkon® S and Virkon® LSP retain their efficacy against ASF virus even under cold farm conditions. In addition, by adding liquid propylene glycol to the Virkon™ S solution, its freezing point can be lowered to -10˚C without compromising efficacy, giving growers the confidence that the disinfection solution they are using will remain effective under cold winter conditions.
The unique and scientifically tested Virkon® S and Virkon® LSP disinfectants make them the disinfectants of choice for a protective biosecurity program against ASF at all levels, from farrowing house to transport to slaughterhouse.
The pig loading dock should be located at the edge of the production area, as far away as possible from the main entrance and staff parking area, and have its own access road. It should be constructed of concrete, well lit, and have its own water supply, pressure washer, and drainage system that drains and stores water and manure from the farm.
All transport vehicles picking up pigs must have been thoroughly cleaned and disinfected prior to arrival at the site. All vehicles that have not done so must be turned away and asked to leave the production site immediately. The pig truck driver must change into clean coveralls and boots upon arrival at the loading dock and immediately use Virkon® S Disinfectant Boot Cleaner upon exiting the cab of their vehicle.
The dividing lines between the "dirty" and "clean" areas of the loading dock should be clearly separated by gates.
Drivers should not be allowed to enter the premises from the "dirty" to the "clean" side through the loading dock gates. Operations personnel who change from the "dirty" to the "clean" side or who must enter the transport trailer for any reason shall not re-enter the operations area until they have showered, changed their clothing, and sanitized their boots.
