Abstract:

Pilot studies to evaluate the efficacy of a truck-mounted tire sanitizer system

Sandra F. Amass, DVM, PhD, Diplomate ABVP; Jessica L. Schneider, RVT; Darryl Ragland, DVM, PhD; Michael A. Hill, PhD, MRCVS

PDF version is available online.

Objective: To determine whether using a tire sanitizer system to apply a disinfectant or water would reduce or eliminate bacteria on the tires of a truck after it was driven through a swine farm.

Materials and methods: After truck tires were contaminated by driving on a farm road in the spring and fall, disinfectant or water was sprayed on the left tires using a tire sanitizer system. The right tires were untreated controls. Bacterial counts were compared from swabs collected from standard areas of the tire after contamination and after treatment.

Results: Use of the tire sanitizer system with disinfectant was effective in removing bacteria from the tire footprint and, in most cases, the tread grooves of tires in fall and spring seasons. Use of the tire sanitizer system to spray water was not effective in reducing bacterial counts. Driving along an asphalt road, without use of disinfectant, removed bacteria from tires in some cases. In cool, muddy conditions, bacterial counts on the tires were lower when the tire sanitizer system was used than when the system was not used, but counts were not consistently lower in warm, dry conditions.

Implications: Bacterial numbers on tires varied with temperature and moisture conditions. Use of the tire sanitizer system with disinfectant was effective in removing bacteria from the footprints and, in most cases, from the tread grooves. Use of tire sanitizers with disinfectant may be an adjunct tool in protocols for vehicle decontamination.

Keywords: tire, decontamination, vehicle, biosecurity

Cite as: Amass SF, Schneider JL, Ragland D, et al. Pilot studies to evaluate the efficacy of a truck-mounted tire sanitizer system. J Swine Health Prod 2003;11(6):277-283.

Search the AASV web site for pages with similar keywords.