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by Chuck Brigermann
reprinted with permission from
The Journal of the Association of Avian Veterinarians, Vol. 7 No. 4.
Disinfectants play an important role in the
daily routine of many of our colleagues. In
a breeding environment, veterinary
practice or research facility, the purpose of
a quality disinfectant can not be
overstated. It appears that in many
situations compromises are being made
thereby maintaining a less than optimum
level of decontamination. The reason
seems to be an inadequate knowledge of
current product capabilities, and part of
this problem stems from a lack of detailed
specific product evaluation.
Many
locations actually divide their usage
between two products, bleach and
chlorhexidine. Routine cleaning was done
with chlorhexidine, and bleach at twenty
to one dilution was used where a greater
margin of efficacy was required.
Chlorhexidine almost seems a waste of
time given it's low ratio of effectiveness
and bleach, although more effective and
inexpensive, has many undesirable
characteristics. Something completely safe,
but uniformly and 100% effective would,
of course, be ideal.
There have been a number of broad
based articles written in recent years
comparing most of the available
disinfectant types. However, an article
written about the Susceptibility of Avian
Polyoma virus to Inactivation study done
by the University of Georgia was very
specific in terms of product usage, and
their effectiveness against Polyoma virus. I
felt the disinfectants found most effective
by this study would immediately narrow
the field for further in depth
consideration.
As suspected chlorhexidine did not
measure up. Iodine and citronella based
products along with quaternary
ammonium also were not as effective
against a relatively weak virus. Fortunately
several candidates were left that were
completely effective. One of these was
sodium hypochlorite (bleach). This
product was eliminated right away because
of the short shelf life, lack of efficacy in
the presence of organic matter, fumes,
residual danger, and the staining and
burning potential. Two products remained
that, in my opinion, deserved a closer
study. Dent-A-Gene, available from
Oxyfresh, is a stabilized
chlorine dioxide. This is used for water
purification in some areas, and is
considered extremely safe. The other was
Avinol-3, currently called Synphenol-3,
available from Veterinary Product
Laboratories, 1-800-548-2828. This is a
synthetic phenol product.
Dent-A-Gene: Although similar to
chlorine in some respects, Dent-A-Gene's
chlorine dioxide is far safer since it does
not react with organic compounds to form
chlorinated organics. The product is
actually a two part system where citric
acid crystals are mixed with chlorine
dioxide to activate it. One gallon of
solution at 200 ppm requires 1.285 ounces
(38 cc) of chlorine dioxide and 3/4
teaspoon of crystals be added to a gallon of
water. This is sufficient for Polyoma virus,
but 500 ppm is recommended for
pseudomonas and other stronger
pathogens.
There has been a very positive
response from everyone contacted about
this product. Our original criteria of "safe
and effective" seem fairly well met with
Dent-A-Gene. The product has a two year
shelf life, but this should not be a problem
for a regular user. The usual EPA warnings
are on the label and consideration must be
given to the fact that the fumes generated
when mixing should be avoided. There is
also a bleaching effect on clothing, etc. and
pitting of plastic could occur if left in
contact for longer than ten minutes.
Oxyfresh offers some related products
such as Cleansing Gele, Pet Gel, etc. that
are also based on the chlorine dioxide
formulation. These products do not
require mixing, they actually rely on being
placed in an acid environment for
activation. Since adequate activation can
not be guaranteed, the efficacy of these
products in certain circumstances also
cannot be guaranteed. Obviously a
reasonably safe and effective product,
Dent-A-Gene is also very expensive. A 16
ounce kit, which is enough crystals and
Dent-A-Gene for 12.56 gallons costs $42.00
(some discounts are available). That's
about $3.36 per gallon.
Synphenol-3: Many people cringe
when they see or hear the word phenol.
Synphenol-3 is a synthetic phenol based
product. These products are no longer
associated with the carbolic acid products
from years ago. What this means is the
danger and harshness are gone and the
effectiveness remains. Too good to be true?
To find out, some extensive testing and
research was undertaken. Current users
were contacted, the product data manual
containing about 200 pages of results for
EPA was investigated, and a usage study
was begun. It was felt a phenol based
product required closer scrutiny because of
the negative characteristics analogous with
phenols of the past. One of the most
respected users of Synphenol-3 is the
Kaytee Research Center. They have not
experienced any problems throughout the
useful range of the product and mentioned
that their only precaution is with small
hand feeding syringes that are difficult to
rinse. The EPA and label data indicates a
wide area of effectiveness at the =AB ounce to
one gallon of water (1:256) dilution. This
list includes Newcastle's, pseudomonas,
etc. The product also proved
biodegradable and non-corrosive on
stainless, aluminum and plastic. Residues
and fumes are also non-toxic. The usual
EPA label precautions are stated, but apply
mainly to the concentrate. The product
also contains a cleanser and is effective in
the presence of organic matter. The
recommended life of mixed product is
seven days. It actually becomes stronger
beyond this point because of water
evaporation. Synphenol-3 was originally
designed for farm and animal use and was
completely safe as a fogger for chicks.
Synphenol-3 was tested for cage and avian
environmental cleanup proficiency, and as
a syringe soaking solution. The results
were positive. Some problems with a
burning sensation on the hands was
encountered after using the solution for
extended periods. This was questioned and
the response was that the cleansing agent
was removing all of the oil from the skin.
Some skin peeling was evident and the use
of rubber gloves is suggested whenever
working for extended periods. At a cost of
$36.00 for 64 ounces, that's about 28 cents
per gallon at the recommended =AB ounce
per gallon dilution.
Hopefully the above data will
encourage many to switch to one of
today's safer and more effective
disinfectants. We owe our avian friends
and customers the best possible service and
surroundings.
(1. Ritchie, Branson W. et. al. 1993. Journal of the
Association of Avian Veterinarians Vol. 7 No. 4.) |
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