4/30/2020: 

“If a poultry house looks clean at first glance, that does not mean it is actually spotless,” says Sjaak de Wit, poultry vet and researcher at Royal GD, in an article published by Poultry World. To determine the effect of the cleaning and disinfection process on viruses, GD has developed the VIR-check. Poultry World explains how this new test can make a difference. They also explain how it can motivate farmers to improve their routines by showing them the effect of what they are doing.

With the VIR-check you are able to test the prevalence and viral load of five contagious and resistant intestinal viruses: rotavirus A and D, chicken astrovirus, avian nephritis virus 3 and reovirus. These viruses are classified as naked viruses and they are more resistant to disinfectants than ie gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria and enveloped viruses. When broilers arrive in a very well cleaned house, we will not find many of these viruses when they are 6-7 days old and you will also have a very very low chance of having much of the other micro-organisms.

Read more about the VIR-check