Researchers in the Texas A&M Department of Poultry Science are testing far-UVC light to determine whether it can reduce airborne pathogens in commercial poultry houses without harming birds. This multiyear study aims to provide a new line of defense against highly pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI.
The current HPAI outbreak began around 2022 and has not ended, according to Morgan Farnell, an avian microbiology and immunology professor and associate department head in the Texas A&M Department of Poultry Science. Avian influenza is still being found in Texas wildlife and is classified as a reportable poultry disease, though it is not considered endemic in the U.S.
Farnell and Ziteng "Tim" Xu, a smart technologies in poultry production scientist and assistant professor, will lead the third and final phase of the study starting in February. This phase examines whether far-UVC light can reduce airborne pathogen loads inside commercial poultry houses. The testing will occur at the Barbara J. Huffman and William M. "Bill" Huffman ’53 Poultry Science Farm Complex.
Far-UVC light differs from conventional germicidal UV light because it can inactivate viruses and bacteria without penetrating deeply enough to damage human or animal skin and eyes. It is of interest as an anti-pathogen tool because it could be used safely in occupied spaces such as hospitals, clinics, classrooms, restaurants, and poultry houses.
Researchers from Columbia University Center for Radiological Research and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital previously studied how effective far-UVC light is against pathogens in a specialized isolator. Those results established the groundwork for further testing in commercial farm settings. Farnell noted that the isolators used at St. Jude are small and not very representative of the real world.
