Selected highlights from other veterinary journals

Disinfection of transboundary animal disease viruses on wood surfaces

P. W. Krug, C. R. Larson, A. C. Eslami, L. L. Rodriguez

THE ability of transboundary animal disease viruses such as foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) to persist and be transmitted on fomites contributes to the spread of disease, with serious consequences for animal health and international trade. Disinfection of surfaces is a key part of biosecurity during outbreaks, but there is no standardised method of disinfection for porous surfaces such as wood, which is commonly used in farm buildings. This study investigated the ability of two disinfectant chemicals to inactivate FMDV and African swine fever virus (ASFV) dried on to a porous wood surface.

Virus stock (FMDV strain A24, ASFV strain BA71/v) diluted in PBS was pipetted on to sterile pieces of birch veneer, which were allowed to dry in a biosafety cabinet. The samples were then treated with 1 ml sodium hypochlorite solution (1000, 1500 or 2000 ppm) or 1 ml 2 per cent citric acid solution. At the end of the contact time, the disinfectant was neutralised, virus was recovered from the wood and the amount of infective virus remaining was determined in a cell culture assay.

FMDV showed comparatively little …