SHIC Wean-to-Harvest Biosecurity: Waterless Decontamination for Transport Trailers (Final Report)

Sep 05, 2025

By Abbey Canon

A study funded by the Swine Health Information Center Wean-to-Harvest Biosecurity Research Program, in partnership with the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research and Pork Checkoff, evaluated the effectiveness of a waterless trailer decontamination method using modified vaporous hydrogen peroxide (mVHP) in combination with an industrial vacuum system. The study, conducted by Dr. Erin Kettelkamp, Swine Vet Center, evaluated the effects of the vacuum plus mVHP on PEDV detection and inactivation using varying disinfectant contact times. Results showed that mVHP treatment paired with a vacuum system reduced the relative PEDV viral load via PCR detection on contaminated trailers while no difference was detected between contact times. Further research is needed to assess the impact of this technology on virus inactivation and its potential application and scalability in the field.

Find the industry summary for project #24-003 here.

Read more about the Wean-to-Harvest Biosecurity Research Program here.

Effective biosecurity protocols for swine transport are critical to controlling endemic pathogens like PEDV and preparing for foreign animal diseases such as African swine fever. The combination of an industrial vacuum and mVHP treatment presents a promising alternative to traditional trailer sanitation methods.

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Video: 2026 T.K. Cheung Lecture in Animal Science - Dan Weary

T.K. Cheung Lecture in Animal Science: "Using science to assess and improve the welfare of dairy cattle"

Dan Weary is a Professor at the University of British Columbia. Dan did his BSc and MSc at McGill and Doctorate at Oxford before co-founding UBC’s Animal Welfare Program where he now co-directs this active research group. His research focuses on understanding the perspectives of animals and applying these insights to develop methods of assessing animal welfare and improving the lives of animals. His work has helped drive changes in practices (including the adoption of higher milk rations for calves and pain management for disbudding) and housing methods (including the adoption of social housing for pre-weaned calves). He also studies cow comfort and lameness, social interactions among cows, and interactions between cows, human handlers and technologies like automated millking systems that are increasingly used on farms. His presentation will outline key questions in cattle welfare, highlight recent UBC research addressing them, and showcase innovative methods for improving the lives of cattle and their caretakers.