Application of In-House Mortality Composting on Viral Inactivity of Newcastle Disease Virus

• Published in: Poultry science Vol. 87; no. 4; pp. 627 - 635
• Main Authors: Benson, E.R, Malone, G.W, Alphin, R.L, Johnson, K, Staicu, E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Poultry Science Association 01.04.2008; Oxford University Press
• Subjects: additives; Animals; breast muscle; carcass disposal; Chickens; composting; dead animals; disease outbreaks; Disease Outbreaks - veterinary; freezing; hemagglutination; inactivation; litter (bedding); methodology; Newcastle disease; Newcastle Disease - prevention & control; Newcastle Disease - virology; Newcastle disease virus; Newcastle disease virus - growth & development; Poultry Diseases - prevention & control; Poultry Diseases - virology; poultry manure; sawdust; Soil; straw; temperature; vertebrate viruses; Virus Inactivation; water based foams; windrow composting; in-house; Newcastle disease virus; windrow; compost; inactivation
• ISSN: 0032-5791; 1525-3171
• DOI: 10.3382/ps.2007-00308

This paper summarizes the results from 3 simulated in-house catastrophic mortality composting experiments. Experiment 1 evaluated the impact of water-based foam mass depopulation on in-house composting of the carcasses and litter and showed that water-based foam improved windrow temperatures. Experiment 2 evaluated the impact of freezing samples on virus recovery from windrow compost tissue and the choice of tissue for virus sampling within the bird. Experiment 2 documented that freezing the samples had minimal impact on processing and that virus recovery was more consistent among inoculated breast meat than inoculated tracheas. Experiment 3 evaluated the impact of sawdust, straw, and sawdust-straw base layer litter material on in-house mortality composting. All litter materials were able to reach and maintain temperatures in excess of 60°C for multiple days. No viral hemagglutination activity was observed after d 2 during any of the 3 experiments.