Efficiency of Virucidal Disinfectants on Wood Surfaces in Animal Husbandry

• Published in: Microorganisms (Basel) 2024-05, Vol.12 (5), p.1019
• Main Authors: Oettler, Martin J, Conraths, Franz J, Roesler, Uwe, Reiche, Sven, Homeier-Bachmann, Timo, Denzin, Nicolai
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agriculture; Animal culture; Animal husbandry; Antiseptics; Biosafety; Cell culture; Comparative analysis; Construction; Deactivation; Disinfectants; disinfection; Disinfection & disinfectants; Disinfection and disinfectants; Environmental aspects; Farms; Formic acid; glutaraldehyde; Hardwoods; Hygiene; Inactivation; Laboratory tests; Peracetic acid; Physiological aspects; Pine trees; Porous materials; Pseudotsuga menziesii; Safety and security measures; Synergistic effect; Test methods; Testing; Viruses; Wood
• ISSN: 2076-2607; 2076-2607
• DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12051019

The aim of this study was to test the inactivation of viruses on germ carriers of different types of wood using a disinfectant in order to assess the biosafety of wood as a building material in animal husbandry. The laboratory disinfectant efficacy tests were based on German testing guidelines and current European standards. Five different types of wood germ carriers, i.e., spruce ( ), pine ( ), poplar ( sp.), beech ( ) and Douglas fir ( ), were inoculated with enveloped or non-enveloped viruses and then treated with one of three different disinfectants. The results revealed that intact, fine-sawn timber with a low roughness depth can be effectively inactivated. Peracetic acid proved to be the most effective disinfectant across all tests. Regardless of the pathogen and the type of wood, a concentration of 0.1% of the pure substance at a temperature of 10 °C and an exposure time of one hour can be recommended. At a temperature of -10 °C, a concentration of 0.75% is recommended. The basic chemicals formic acid and glutaraldehyde demonstrated only limited effectiveness overall. The synergistic effects of various wood components on the inactivation of viruses offer potential for further investigation. Disinfectant tests should also be conclusively verified in field trials to ensure that the results from standardised laboratory tests can be transferred to real stable conditions.