New Technologies Support Hog Health

New Technologies Support Hog Health

Germicide powder helps keep swine barns clean

Germicide powder, like Stalosan® F from Proteka, kills bacteria, viruses, fungi, and in some instances, parasites and fly larvae by creating unfavorable growing conditions. The combination of dry ingredients absorbs water, neutralizes ammonia and lowers pH to inhibit the production of pathogens, according to a release from the company.

Pigs are susceptible to many different diseases, which is why it’s standard operating procedure to power wash and disinfect a barn before a new group of pigs arrives. But how do you keep the barn clean when pigs are in it? Bringing animals into a barn immediately elevates barn bacteria, as well as pH and ammonia levels, the release says.

“It’s common practice to disinfect the barn between pig groups and rely on vaccines to protect against disease threats,” says Morgan Hart, monogastric specialist at Protekta, in the release. “However, there’s more we can do to protect pigs once they are in the barn. Germicide powder is a great way to keep barns disinfected and pigs healthy through the time they enter the barn until they leave it.”

The product can be applied in minutes and can eliminate pathogen loads for up to a full week. It offers a low-stress, low-labor means of disinfection that doesn’t require handling, moving or transporting pigs, the release says. Germicide powder can also provide a safer surface for farm employees by eliminating wetness, without becoming slippery like limestone.

Germicide powder can also be used in:
• Nooks and crannies: Fill the gaps – literally – between wash downs and keep biosecurity in check.
• Footbaths: Use as a dry boot dip disinfectant between rooms in your barn – farrowing, nursery, grow/finish – to help prevent cross-contamination from one section of the barn to another.
• Truck ramps and tires: Spray dry powder germicide on feed truck tires and loading ramps to control transmitting bacteria from outside sources.
• Any season: A dry germicide also provides the added benefit of year-round use without freezing in a footbath or on a truck ramp.

Visit protekta.com/stalosan for more tips on protecting your swine operation from bacteria and disease.

Model Filter System Removes Antibiotics from Wastewater

A model for an economical filter system that can remove antibiotics from wastewater has been designed by USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and University of California-Riverside (UCR) collaborators, according to an ARS release.

Microbiologist Mark Ibekwe with the ARS Agricultural Water Efficiency and Salinity Research Unit in Riverside, California, and UCR soil chemist Daniel Ashworth constructed the prototype system using four layers of natural materials: gravel, sand, soil, and biochar in a column 50-cm tall and 12-cm diameter.

The laboratory-scale model was then used to remove four antibiotics: amoxicillin, cefalexin, sulfadiazine, and tetracycline at various levels of efficiency. These four antibiotics were selected for testing in the scale model because they are among the most common in wastewater treatment plant effluent. Conventional wastewater treatment plant systems are relatively effective at removing nutrients and bacteria but can be somewhat ineffective at removing antibiotics, the release says.

The effectiveness of the laboratory-scale system varied with the antibiotic being evaluated. It successfully removed 98 percent of the tetracycline, followed by 91 percent of cefalexin, 81 percent of amoxicillin and 51 percent of sulfadiazine. The antibiotics had initial concentrations of 10 ppb, comparable to levels that have been seen in municipal wastewater, the test showed.

Amoxicillin and cefalexin removal were largely controlled by chemical degradation in the gravel layer, while sulfadiazine was largely removed by a combination of chemical and microbial degradation in the soil mixed with the biochar layer. Tetracycline was primarily removed by chemical reactions with water (hydrolysis) in the gravel layer, the release says.

Increasing the time it takes for the water stream to pass through the column also improved removal efficiency, especially for amoxicillin and cefalexin. In this design, the simulated wastewater enters at the bottom of the column to saturate the bottom layer and then is pumped up through the column to flow out through the top, the release says.

A "full-size" scale-upped version of the researchers' filter system—one that might serve a small-town wastewater treatment plant—would be about 2 meters tall and 50 cm in diameter, according to Ashworth. Of course, you could use multiples of the columns to serve a larger need and the footprint would still be relatively small, which is one of the powerful features of this system, Ashworth added in the release.

This research was published in the Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering.

Newport Laboratories, Inc. Re-Launches HerdPoint™ in GVL®

Veterinarians can now manage animal health and movement documents and vaccine isolates in the GVL platform with HerdPoint™, a custom-made vaccine management tool exclusively for Newport Laboratories customers, according to a company release.

HerdPoint simplifies the nonadjacent-herd approval process and provides veterinarians with an in-depth view into their ongoing isolate management.

“Integrating HerdPoint into GVL’s platform allows us to provide an even more user-friendly solution for veterinarians to view and manage their clients’ isolates,” said Stephanie Eggers, inside sales manager, Newport Laboratories, in the release. “HerdPoint prioritizes the information veterinarians need most, such as expiring isolates, for easier processing and quicker work.”

Enhancements made to HerdPoint include compatibility with all major internet browsers, greater visibility into the status of their clients’ isolates, as well as extended customer support from both Newport Laboratories and GVL staff, the release says.

The GVL platform allows veterinary professionals to create and share animal health and movement documents online, with built-in requirements to help ensure compliance and reduce errors. Learn more about HerdPoint powered by GVL at www.herdpoint.com

 

 

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