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VIR Check contributes to lower viral pressure in poultry houses


Even the most thorough cleaning practices don’t always guarantee clean poultry houses. The viral status of the house can be monitored using the new VIR Check.


BY BERRIE KLEIN SWORMINK


A new test enables broiler farmers to measure the results of the cleaning and disinfection of their poultry houses. It shows just how effective the process of cleaning poultry houses actually is in between rounds. The Dutch animal health service GD is debuting its VIR Check worldwide.


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roiler farmers devote a lot of time to cleaning and disinfecting their poultry houses after delivering a flock. It takes days and has just one purpose: to make sure that the new chicks arrive in a comforta-


ble and pathogen-free environment. The effectiveness of the process is not always clear. “If a poultry house looks clean at first glance, that does not mean it is actually spotless,” says Sjaak de Wit, poultry vet and researcher at Royal GD in the Dutch town of Deventer. “The traditional method for check- ing cleanliness using ‘Rodac plates’ does not provide conclu- sive information. Rodac plates are used to determine whether easily growing bacteria are still present in the poultry house. The principle is that if you find such bacteria, there will also be viruses left in the poultry house. However, if you do not


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PHOTO: BERT JANSEN


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