Abstract
ABSTRACT This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of ultraviolet light in reducing bacterial load of eggshells and the impact of experimental disinfection on hatching, embryo mortality, and time-borne distribution using broiler breeder hens of different ages (38, 42, and 48 weeks old). Fertile eggs were subjected to different exposure periods (5, 7, and 9 minutes) of UV light (UV-C) with a 254 nm wavelength. For controls, eggs disinfected with paraformaldehyde (5.3 g/m3) and eggs not disinfected (NC). After subjection to disinfection protocols, the eggs were placed into sterile plastic bags containing 20 mL of peptone saline solution (0.1% m:v) and massaged for 1 minute to release the bacterial load. Aliquots of this solution were incubated in specific medium for bacterial growth for 48 hours at 37ºC for subsequent CFU counts. To evaluate the effects of disinfection on production, eggs previously disinfected by UV-C (9 min) and paraformaldehyde and NC eggs were candled between incubation days 10 and 13 and at the end of the incubation period to assess embryonic mortality. Hatchability distribution was performed every 8 hours. The 9 minutes 254nm UV-C light exposure was able to disinfect viable eggs and matched the effectiveness of the paraformaldehyde technique.
Highlights
The disinfection of fertile eggs is a crucial part of sanitary and pathogen control programs in the poultry production chain, and the efficiency of the disinfection is one of the factors determining the success of incubation (Campos, 2000)
The nominal intensity of the UV-C lamp used in this experiment was 8 mW/cm2, this value refers to the UV intensity at zero distance to the lamp
Ultraviolet light was effective in reducing the bacterial load present on eggshells when the eggs were exposed for 9 minutes
Summary
The disinfection of fertile eggs is a crucial part of sanitary and pathogen control programs in the poultry production chain, and the efficiency of the disinfection is one of the factors determining the success of incubation (Campos, 2000). Among the possible factors influencing the hatching rate are the quality and level of contamination on the incubated egg (Heier and Jarp, 2001). The shell and cuticle structural integrity and cleanliness play a key role in the egg’s ability to protect its internal contents and, simultaneously, meet the demands of the embryo (Narushin and Romanov, 2005). Cuticle removal by egg disinfection procedures leads to internal water loss and reduction in the hatching percentage of eggs (Peebles et al, 1987, 1998). The use of formaldehyde near hatchlings can cause ultra- and micro-structural changes in the chicks trachea and lungs, commonly causing ciliary membrane rupture, ciliary agglutination, epithelial desquamation, and heterophil infiltration (Freitas, 2007), with the latter leading to considerable losses in productivity
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