Disinfecting Stalls
Disinfection of stalls is an important infection control tool, especially stalls that have housed horses with potentially infectious diseases and stalls used for foaling. Unfortunately, proper disinfection of stalls is difficult even at the best of times, and is rarely achieved on most farms.
Three things are required to successfully disinfect a surface:
- A surface that is amenable to disinfection
- The right disinfectant
- Proper use of the selected disinfectant
Surface amenable to disinfection can be difficult to come by in a barn. Surfaces must be cleaned prior to disinfection. You cannot disinfect dirt, bedding, manure or similar substances. You also cannot thoroughly disinfect porous surfaces because bacteria can live in the pores and cracks, and thereby avoid contact with the disinfectant. Another issue is biofilms - accumulations of debris produced by bacteria on surfaces that protect the bacteria from disinfectants. Good physical cleaning helps reduce biofilm accumalation. A common problem with disinfection in barns is failure to remove organic debris (e.g. bedding, manure, dirt) prior to applying a disinfectant.
Using the right disinfectant is critical. I’ve done many infection control investigations on farms where I've found that the "disinfectant" being used is actually just a cleaning agent with no disinfectant properties. Even among disinfectants, not all products are created alike. There are differences in range of activity against microorganisms, activity in the presence of organic debris, how quickly they kill, toxicity to animals and people, and how hard they are on surfaces.
Even an excellent disinfectant will be ineffective if it’s not used properly. Common errors include not diluting the disinfectant properly and not providing adequate contact time with the surface in question. Disinfectants do not typically kill instantly - they need time to take effect. Often, 10-30 minutes of contact time is recommended.
Here are some tips for disinfecting stalls:
- Make the stall as disinfection-friendly as possible. Wood surfaces should be sealed with two coats of marine-quality varnish or paint, and repainted whenever defects in the surface are found. Concrete is very porous - any concrete that needs to be disinfected should also be painted to seal it.
- If you use removable rubber floor mats, remove them and disinfect them separately. Sunlight is a great "disinfectant" - leaving mats in the sun for a day or two is a great supplemental disinfection tool. If you leave mats in the stall during cleaning and disinfection, bacteria will live in the nice moist area under the mats that you don't reach with the disinfectant.
- Thoroughly clean the stall before trying to disinfect it. Disinfection cannot be achieved without proper pre-cleaning. Remove all bedding and other debris. Scrub surfaces so they are clean prior to disinfection. However, avoid power washers as these can damage surfaces, creating nooks and crannies in which bacteria can hide, and can spread bacteria into the air.
- Choose a disinfectant that works relatively well in the presence of some organic debris.
- Read the label of the disinfectant carefully to ensure that you are using the proper concentration and contact time.
- Don't forget to also disinfect buckets, hay nets and other items that are in the stall.
