A recent report highlighted the importance of managing six key biosecurity points to control Gumboro disease in the poultry industry. Effective biosecurity measures are essential for maintaining the health and productivity of poultry flocks.

How to Create a Clean Area:
Around the farm, walls or wire fences should separate external and internal farm areas, creating an epidemiological unit. This unit must be isolated and secured.

Employees and visitors should shower and use farm-specific protective clothing (boots, suits, gloves, masks, hair covers) when working inside the farm. For the aggressive bursa virus (Gumboro), the highest risks of external contamination come from hands, shoes, and dust around entrances to any building (such as gates at the front of the house for young chicks and the ash areas and doors on both sides for accessing equipment and the control room). The area around the cold pad is also important for dust accumulation. Equipment and the control room in each house should be divided into two zones, with each zone using its own pair of shoes, marked with different colors (the external and internal zones).

How to Prevent Carriers from Entering the Farm/House:

Rodents and insects (darkling beetles and flies) are considered dynamic carriers of the aggressive bursa virus, as they move between different farms and houses, potentially harboring the virus during transitional periods.

Managing Ash:

1 gram of used ash may contain up to 10^6 viruses. When emptied, all dust resulting from ash removal should be cleaned to significantly reduce the viral challenge. Ideally, use plexiglass chutes directed towards covered trucks. Be cautious of wind currents. The ground should be cleaned with a mechanical broom (if available) and manually. For dirty ground, sweeping with quicklime powder from the previous cycle while cleaning ash residues can help.

Cleaning and Disinfection Protocols (for all surfaces, including small equipment):

The goal of cleaning compounds is to reduce the amount of biofilm on surfaces. Acid cleaners are used for metallic materials, and enzyme cleaners are used for organic materials. However, alkaline cleaners are more effective when sprayed with a foam gun. After 30 minutes of contact time, contact surfaces should be rinsed with high-pressure water.

Disinfecting the Floor (e.g., a 1000-square-meter house):

A sodium hydroxide solution (100 kg / 500 liters of water) can be applied to the floor, with expected penetration ranging from 2-15 mm into materials. After 6 hours, apply 250 kg of quicklime powder and spray water to activate it (200-600 liters).

Managing Ash (or Network Layout):

Ash (using high-quality raw materials: without dust) reduces the risk of contact between new chicks and the floor (considered a major virus reservoir). A 10 cm thickness of ash is recommended for good protection, liquid retention, and avoiding fermentation. Ash shifting can be risky as the virus may reveal the surface and come into close contact with the birds.

source: the poultry site