A formal control staff should be appointed to supervise and monitor all hygienic processes in poultry production facilities. Control personnel must be made aware of all events in production. The herd owner should be informed about hygiene and other measures to prevent infection of the farm and a possible disease outbreak. The inspector must ensure that all stages of the operation are carried out properly and a careful visual inspection must be carried out immediately after each cleaning and disinfection step. It should also make sure that all necessary repair work has been completed before starting the final cleaning phase.
Visual inspection of every part of the facility (for cleaning) is done under strong light once house preparations are complete and the equipment is dry.
Although visual cleaning is a systematic prerequisite, bacteriological samples are also required to determine the effectiveness of cleaning and disinfection. Bacteriological samples should be taken periodically (at least twice a year from empty farms with no history of disease) and after any disease outbreak.
The best time to take a sample is two to three days after disinfection. Evaluating the sanitation status of poultry production units after disinfection includes determining the number of viable microorganisms present.
How to take a swab from the surface?
- Number the points to be sampled by taking them into 10 x 10 cm squares and marking them.
- Select random points from the drinker feeder, fan, damper, wall, and floor so that the sampling represents the whole.
- Before starting, wear sterile gloves.
- Remove the sterile swab from its packaging; Hold it near the top. Do not grab under the thumb rest.
- If the sterile swap has not been pre-moistened, moisten the sterile swab by immersing it in a 10 mL container of neutralizing buffer solution. Remove excess fluid by pressing the swab head on the inner surface of the neutralizing buffer solution container.
- Applying strong or weak pressure while taking the swab can change the results. Try to constantly apply pressure of the same strength.
- Create the pattern below and flip to use all the surfaces of the cotton while doing this.
- Tightly cap and label the tube.
- Put the sample cup in a resealable 1 liter plastic bag. Seal and label the bag securely (eg sample location, date and time sample collected and name of person collecting sample).
Note: To increase the number of samples that can be shipped in one container, remove excess air from resealable plastic bags.
Shipment of samples
Transport all samples to the processing lab on ice or in cold, insulated containers.
Note: Samples can be stored at 2-8 ° C before processing and must be processed within 48 hours of collection.
Appropriate chain of custody forms and analytical request forms should be included with each shipment sent to the laboratory. Containers used to transport samples and accompanying contaminated documentation and equipment should be prepared and shipped in accordance with the appropriate regulations for infectious transport.
Sources
CDC, Surface sampling procedures for Bacillus anthracis spores from smooth, non-porous surfaces
Revised April 26, 2012
Disinfecting poultry production premises, M. Meroz and Y. Samberg Rev. sci. tech. Off. int. Epiz., 1995,14 (2), 273-291
Drovin P., Tonx I.Y. & L'Hospitalier. (1985). - Essai d'appréciation bactériologique de l'efficacité de la désinfection dans des poulaillers de poulets de chair. Bull, d'info. Station exp. d'Avicult. Ploufragan, 25 (1), 19-20,23-35. 5. ENGVALL A. (1993).
Cleaning and disinfection of poultry houses. Paper presented at a World Health Organisation international course on Salmonella control in animal production and products. Malmo, Sweden, 21-27 August.