Disinfection of Foot and Mouth Disease Virus:
 

Resistance to physical and chemical action 
(From the OIE:    http://www.oie.int/eng/maladies/fiches/A_A010.HTM)

  • Temperature: 
    • Preserved by refrigeration and freezing and progressively inactivated by temperatures above 50 degrees C.

  • pH: 
    • Inactivated by pH <6.0 or >9.0

  • Disinfectants:
    • Inactivated by sodium hydroxide (2%), sodium carbonate (4%), and citric acid (0.2%). Resistant to iodophores, quaternary ammonium compounds, hypoclorite and phenol, especially in the presence of organic matter.

  • Survival: 
    • Survives in lymph nodes and bone marrow at neutral pH, but destroyed in muscle when is pH <6.0 i.e. after rigor mortis. Can persist in contaminated fodder and the environment for up to 1 month, depending on the temperature and pH conditions.



Choice of Disinfectants 
(From AVIS:   http://aleffgroup.com/avisfmd/A010-fmd/mod4/4320-choice.html)

FMD virus is inactivated outside a narrow range of pH conditions (approximately pH 7 to 8.5) at a rate dependent on pH, temperature and inactivant.

For disinfection of premises and equipment it is not generally necessary to go to the expense of using proprietary disinfectants. The use of an appropriate acid or alkali, together with a detergent to assist penetration of organic matter, is usually sufficient. Many of the agents used are dangerous and all appropriate safety measures should be taken, including the use of masks, eye protection and protective clothing.
 

  • Citric acid 0.2% solution 
    • Ten per cent stock solutions may be held in airtight sterile containers for up to two weeks. Effectiveness improved by addition of small quantity (no more than ml/litre) of detergent. Suitable for milking equipment and bulk tanks. pH should be <4.

  • Formalin 10.0% solution (containing no less than 34% formaldehyde).
    • For use mix 1:9 with water. Suitable for spraying on hay, straw, bedding, etc.
  • Formaldehyde gas
    • Produced by action of formalin on potassium permanganate 
    • *Lethal ö Danger* 
    • Great care must be taken with the use of formaldehyde gas as it is extremely noxious. This agent should only be used by experienced personnel with the appropriate equipment.
  • Ortho-phosphoric acid 0.3% solution 
    • Effectiveness improved by addition of small quantity (no more than 3 ml/litre) of detergent. Suitable for milking equipment and bulk tanks. pH should be <4.
  • Sodium carbonate 4.0% solution
    • Effectiveness improved by addition of small quantity (no more than 3 ml/litre) of detergent. Suitable for animal pens and similar areas. pH should be >10.
  • Sulphamic acid 0.2% solution
    • Stable in solution, and particularly suitable for metal, painted surfaces, plastics and rubber. Effectiveness improved by addition of small quantity (no more than 3 ml/litre) of detergent. Suitable for milking equipment and bulk tanks. pH should be <6.
  • Proprietary brands
    • Labels will indicate their suitability for FMD and dilution rates.
Note that acid and alkali disinfectants, dependent for their activity on pH, should not 
be mixed.



List of MAFF Approved Disinfectants: