On farm comparisons of different cleaning protocols and development of a reliable measurement system to evaluate cleaning and disinfection in broiler houses.

On farm comparisons of different cleaning protocols and development of a reliable measurement system to evaluate cleaning and disinfection in broiler houses.
Kaat Luyckx, Stephanie Van Weyenberg, Jeroen Dewulf, Lieve Herman, Johan Zoons, Ellen Vervaet, Marc Heyndrickx and Koen De Reu
Cleaning and disinfection (C&D) of the stable environment is an essential part of the hygiene management on the farm. This is important for the prevention and control of diseases and zoonosis. The objective of this study is to test C&D protocols in broiler houses.
Various cleaning protocols were carried out in different stables present on the same farm. The difference between whether or not applying a soaking step and/or the use of warm (60 °C) or cold water during cleaning was repeatedly tested in 6 stables on two farms. Further studies on other farms are running. The effectiveness was evaluated through visual inspection, ATP hygiene monitoring and microbiological analysis. Before cleaning and after disinfection agar contact plates and swabs for enumeration and detection were taken in each per quarter of the hen house, in twelve defined sites. The total bacterial plate count, the enumeration of Enterococcus spp. and Escherichia coli and the presence of E. coli and Salmonella were determined. After cleaning, microbiological and ATP swabs were taken. Moreover a visual score was assigned for each location.
This study showed that agar contact plates, which are standard used to evaluate C&D, were less sensitive than swabs to enumerate and less useful to thoroughly evaluate different C&D protocols. Besides total bacterial plate count, Enterococcus spp. seems to be a better hygiene-indicator to evaluate C&D protocols compared to E. coli. As all stables were Salmonella negative the detection of its indicator E. coli provided additional information for evaluating C&D protocols. This study found that drinking-nipples, side shields, floor-cracks, drainholes and pipes were critical locations for C&D in broiler houses. Overall, there is little difference between the various cleaning methods, although the soaking step and/or the use of warm water can have a cumulative effect in time.
Kaat Luyckx, Stephanie Van Weyenberg, Koen De Reu, Marc Heyndrickx: Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research (ILVO); Technology and Food Science Unit, Melle; Belgium.
Jeroen Dewulf: Ghent University, Veterinary Epidemiology Unit, Department of Reproduction, Obstetrics and Herd Health, Merelbeke, Belgium
Johan Zoons, Ellen vervaet: Applied Poultry Research Center, Geel, Belgium