Brussels, 14/02/2008 (Agence Europe) - At a press meeting in Brussels on Tuesday 12 February, the European Lime Association (EuLA) praised the merits of lime as a substance for the prevention and control of avian flu.
EuLA explains that lime treatment has been recognised as an effective measure in the prevention and control of pathogens such as the H5N1 avian flu virus. In Germany, lime treatment was successfully applied during the avian influenza outbreak in Bavaria in 2007. It has also been successfully used to control similar outbreaks in Turkey (2006) and Japan (2004).
The first scientific study on the inactivation of H5N1 virus by lime was performed in 2007 by the Institut Pasteur de Lille (IPL), in partnership with EuLA. The study clearly shows the efficiency and rapidity of lime for H5N1 virus inactivation (within 5 minutes at 4°C). Following this scientific study, EuLA has initiated publication of the first edition of a guide entitled “Practical Guidelines on the Use of Lime for the Prevention and Control of Avian Influenza”. It describes how lime can be applied to disinfect the ground outside and inside poultry houses, walls of poultry houses, litter or manure, and carcasses to prevent and control bird flu outbreak. Lime treatment of the virus minimises the risk of H5N1 dissemination during storage and transportation of the carcasses, litter and manure. Lime is a natural product derived from limestone which has been used for disinfection purposes for centuries. It is already used in both agricultural applications and a wide range of environmental applications (drinking water treatment, waste water treatment, sludge treatment and flue gas treatment). For further information: http://www.eula.be. (L.C.)