The transmission of disease among livestock farms could be addressed by the efficiency of truck washes to clean and disinfect trailers used for transporting animals. Collecting swab samples from trailers and cabs of identified truck wash trailers will help to determine the proper procedures and steps needed to reduce the transmission of disease. Truck washes in the state of Iowa were identified and invited to participate in a questionnaire that will provide helpful information for this research. The main goals of this study are to 1) determine the areas in the truck washing process that pose a high risk to transmit disease, and 2) to identify the location of current livestock truck washes and their capability in the event that some disease outbreak requires their involvement. This survey tool could help to provide necessary information in order to determine which service methods are best for reducing back contamination and the spread of disease among livestock herds. Determining what locations would be beneficial in collecting samples will be easier overall when the surveys are completed.
and Implications Data from eighteen different truck washes were used to compare the association of different service levels with Enterobacteriaceae counts. Service levels were classified into three different categories; prewash (n=78), post wash with disinfectant (n=78), and post wash without disinfectant (n=12). A total of 168 drag swabs were used for collection for the purpose of this study. Prewash services were defined as trailers before they were scraped out and washed. Post wash with or without disinfectant services were defined as after the trailers were washed and disinfectant was or was not applied. Prewash trailers tended to have higher Enterobacteriaceae counts of around 5.0 Log10CFU/m 2 when compared to post wash with disinfectant Enterobacteriaceae counts of around 2.2 Log10CFU/m 2 and post wash without disinfectant Enterobacteriaceae counts of around 2.7 Log10CFU/m 2 .
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