Aspergillus in hatcheries

THE TREATMENT OF ASPERGILLUS IN HATCHERIES

Recent visits to local hatcheries have provided anopportunity to familiarise ourselves with and gainvaluable insight into the current biosecurity protocols.Even though hatcheries achieve a high rate of success,there are several meaningful issues, especially regarding Aspergillus.
We will highlight some elements that contribute to thesituation and provide suggested solutions.

IMPACT THEIMPACT ON THE PRODUCTION AND PRODUCTION CHAIN AND A BRIEF INTRODUCTION:

THE TREATMENT OFASPERGILLUS:

Due to the favourable propagating conditionswithin hatcheries, Aspergillus will rapidly andcontinually reproduce, rendering it difficult tocontrol and impossible to eliminate. MANCHEM’s specifically designed hands-onwashing and disinfecting program, combinedwith Triazolol F and Triazolol L (chemicalsspecifically formulated to combat and controlAspergillus) have proven to be effective.

To obtain the required results, it is essential tointroduce and apply the correct washing anddisinfection program. This will provide theappropriate environment to apply the TriazololF (fog) and Triazolol L (mist spray) in theaffected areas.

TO OBTAIN THE REQUIRED RESULTS, THE FOLLOWING PROCEDURES MUST BE IMPLEMENTED AND MAINTAINED:

– Clean and wash all surfaces with the recommended detergent.
– Inspect the areas that have been washed to ensure that all dirt and dust have been removed.
– Sanitise the area with the recommended disinfectant. Foam the product onto all surfaces, ensuring that the surface is well-covered to allow the disinfectant enough contact time to eliminate any challenge.
– Apply Triazolol L and Triazolol F as per the recommended procedure.

LIKELY AREAS OF ASPERGILLUS CONTAMINATION IN A HATCHERY:

– Litter: Litter must be treated before placement as per the laying farms operating procedure. Turning and aerating the litter will help to prevent the growth of Aspergillus.
– Nest Boxes: Nest box hygiene is essential in producing clean eggs.
– Eggs: Eggs should be collected frequently to avoid cracked and broken eggs from providing a breeding source for the Aspergillus.
– Egg Rooms: Grading of eggs is paramount. Damaged and dirty eggs must be removed and disposed of in a suitable manner.
– Egg Storage: Eggs should be stored in a clean disinfected area.
– Egg Trucks: The vehicle that transports the eggs should be disinfected before collecting eggs from the laying farm.

EGGS Laying farms are the prime source of contamination for hatcheries. Eggshells carry spore-bearing dust particles. Aspergillus spore growth in cracked eggs possibly could have begun prior to delivery to the hatchery. Dust, feathers, broken eggs etcetera on trays and trolleys from the laying farm are a potential source of contamination. Identifying eggs that have cracked shells or toenail and/or hair-line cracks: Removing and disposing of cracked eggs will eliminate potential Aspergillus infection, increase the hatching capacity and improve the quality of the chicks. Cracked eggs reduce the hatching capacity and are likely to become contaminated, resulting in infected chicks being transferred to the broiler farm. – Identify toenail cracks at the farm/hatchery. – The quality of eggs, for example dirty eggs, need to be identified and separated on farms. – Identify and eliminate cracked eggs: this step is vital to eliminate bangers. The bangers will release a vast quantity of Aspergillus spores into the air which will contaminate the setter and eggs.

SETTERS & SETTER HUMIDIFIER Incubator: Aspergillus does not require specific conditions for growth or germination. The spores will grow in a wide variety of temperatures (12-65°C), humidity, and pH. Optimal growth occurs at 37 to 45°C temperatures and high humidity. This makes an incubator a perfect environment for growth. Growth and sporulation require a cycle of warm “humid and dry” conditions: humid conditions for growth and dry conditions for sporulation. With a growth medium, such as egg yolk or other organic matter (wood, cardboard, chick lint), an ideal breeding environment for Aspergillus is created.   HATCHERY VENTILATION SYSTEMS Aspergillus spores are 2.5 microns in diameter and are too small to be seen with the naked eye. A small grain of dirt or faeces in an egg can contain several thousand spores, each of which can become mature moulds, producing spores and spreading contamination. For example, up to 190,000 mould spores can be found in one gram of chick fluff. Because ventilation units are often difficult to clean regularly, ventilation, filters, plenums, wells, and exhaust systems are a continued source of recontamination. Together with active ventilation, this can explain the often-high proliferation of Aspergillus in hatchery ventilation systems.