Does Your Disinfectant Work in Winter?
Increasing the contact time (more than 10 minutes) could help, however; the extended contact time is only effective if the surface remains wet, which might not be possible in freezing temperatures. Increasing concentration may speed up the rate of kill but comes at a risk of increased toxicity and higher cost in use. Conversely, Virkon™ S maintains effective activity against disease-causing organisms at 5°C/41°F, eliminating the need to increase contact time or concentration of the disinfectant solution. Virkon S is an oxidative chemistry and therefore is not impacted by cold temperature. Numerous independent studies show Virkon S is just as effective at cold temperature as it is at room temperature. Fall and winter pose new challenges as well as opportunities to enhance biosecurity protocols on the farm. Environmental temperature can play a large role in the efficacy of a disinfectant. The ability of a disinfectant to work well at low temperatures contributes to the value of its use on a daily basis. It is well documented that the efficacy of some disinfectant chemistries, such as aldehydes (glutaraldehyde) as well as quaternary ammonia compounds can decrease as temperatures decrease within the environment. This can result in the disinfectant solution becoming ineffective against the disease-causing organisms of concern. In order to compensate for any loss of efficacy under cold conditions, the corrective action would be to increase the contact time of the solution on the surface or, in some circumstances, increase the concentration of the disinfectant itself in order to achieve similar results. Virkon S is Effective at Cold Temperatures (5°C/41°F), Against the Following Viruses- Avian Adenovirus Type 2
- Avian Infectious Bronchitis
- Avian Influenza virus
- Marek’s Disease Virus
- PEDv
- PRRS
- Porcine Rotavirus
| Pathogen | Concentration | Contact Time | Temperature |
| Avian Adenovirus Type 2 | 1:200 | 10 min | 5°C/41°F |
| Avian Infectious Bronchitis | 1:200 | 10 min | 5°C/41°F |
| Avian Infectious Bronchitis | 1:200 | 1 min | 5°C/41°F |
| Avian Influenza | 1:200 | 10 min | 5°C/41°F |
| Avian Influenza | 1:200 | 1 min | 5°C/41°F |
| Avian Infectious Laryngotracheitis | 1:200 | 10 min | 5°C/41°F |
| Marek’s Disease Virus | 1:200 | 10 min | 5°C/41°F |
| PEDv | 1:200 | 10 min | 5°C/41°F |
| PEDv | 1:200 | 1 min | 5°C/41°F |
| PEDv | 1:600 | 10 min | 5°C/41°F |
| PRRS | 1:600 | 10 min | 5°C/41°F |
| Porcine Rotavirus | 1:600 | 10 min | 5°C/41°F |
- 4ºC/39ºF efficacy is 2.8 Log Reduction, 60 minutes
- 22ºC/72ºF efficacy for a 4 Log Reduction, 60 minutes