A bright future: The use of Far UV as a disinfectant in the livestock industry—Feasibility studies in the dairy and poultry sectors

在讨论英国未来的农业政策时，农场动物的健康和福利被描述为一个优先问题。牲畜疾病对环境、动物福利、公共卫生和经济构成威胁。为防治牲畜传染病而制定的措施数量有限，取得了成功，因此需要采取更有效的控制措施。由于紫外线（UVC）光消毒系统在消除病原体方面的功效，已经使用了多年，但由于可能对皮肤和眼睛造成损害，以前不适合直接暴露于人类和动物。远紫外线技术的工作波长为222nm，不会到达表皮的活细胞，因此不会产生负面影响，但仍能保持消除病原体的有效性。远紫外线目前在非农业环境中用于公共场所消毒，并已显示出对多种病毒和细菌的有效性，包括人类冠状病毒、大肠杆菌0157、流感病毒、耐甲氧西林金黄色葡萄球菌，并已被证明可以减少接触后的细菌总数。远紫外线尚未在英国的活畜农业中进行正式试验，因此提供了一个独特的机会来调查其在牲畜疾病控制中的可能用途。可行性研究将集中在奶制品和肉鸡行业，以代表反刍动物和单胃行业，在这些行业中，地方病和流行病导致了重大的经济损失。家禽研究将集中在进入畜棚的大厅。为了评估是否可以减少疾病传播到畜棚，将部署远紫外线装置，并在远紫外线照射前后采集环境棉签样本。我们还将试用远紫外线消毒棒给鞋子消毒。在奶牛场环境中，我们将重点关注小牛舍消毒潜力。远紫外线的功效将通过测量微生物数量来评估，微生物数量也可以作为对病毒功效的代表：最近的研究表明，病毒比细菌对失活更敏感，并且可以在远紫外线剂量远低于本研究中使用的剂量的情况下被消灭。这项研究为开发创新的基于远紫外线的消毒方法提供了一个独特的机会，可以有效地对抗一系列病原体，包括多重耐药细菌，并可能成为未来更有效的疾病控制计划的一部分。

Farm animal health and welfare has been described as a priority issue in discussions about the future of agricultural policy in the UK. Livestock diseases pose threats to the environment, animal welfare, public health and the economy. Only a limited number of measures developed to combat infectious disease in livestock have been successful and there is a need for more effective control measures.Ultraviolet (UVC) light disinfection systems have been used for many years, due to their efficacy in eliminating pathogens, but were previously unsuitable for direct exposure to humans and animals due to potential damage to the skin and eyes. Far UV technology operates at 222nm wavelength and does not reach live cells in the epidermis, hence does not cause negative effects, yet retains effectiveness in eliminating pathogens. Far UV is currently used in non-agricultural settings to disinfect public spaces and has shown efficacy against a wide range of viruses and bacteria including human coronaviruses, _Escherichia coli 0157_, Influenza viruses, Methicillin-resistant _Staphylococcus aureus_ and has been proven to reduce the overall bacterial count following exposure.Far UV has not been formally trialled in live animal agriculture in the UK and therefore presents a unique opportunity to investigate its possible uses in livestock disease control. Feasibility studies will focus on the dairy and broiler poultry sectors to represent ruminant and monogastric industries where endemic and epidemic diseases lead to major financial losses.The poultry study will focus on the lobbies from which barns are accessed. To assess whether disease transmission into barns can be reduced, Far UV devices will be deployed and environmental swab samples will be taken before and after Far UV exposure. We will also trial Far UV wands to disinfect footwear.In the dairy setting we will focus on calf housing disinfection potential.The efficacy of Far UV will be assessed by measuring microbial counts that also can be used as a proxy for efficacy against viruses: Recent research shows that viruses are more sensitive to deactivation than bacteria and can be eliminated at much lower doses of Far UV than what will be used in this study.This research presents a unique opportunity to develop innovative Far UV based disinfection methods effective against a range of pathogens, including multidrug resistant bacteria, and could form part of more effective disease control programs in the future.