Avian Influenza & the Fight for Biosecurity: Why HOCl Holds the Edge

Avian influenza (often called “bird flu”) remains one of the most pressing threats to poultry, livestock, and animal-production systems globally. With each new outbreak, farms face enormous risks, including economic losses, animal welfare challenges, and public perception concerns.

The current challenge

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) spreads rapidly among domestic poultry and wild birds. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, outbreaks continue to emerge despite strong surveillance and containment efforts. cdfa.ca.gov

In states like California, flock detections have triggered movement restrictions, market closures, and emergency disinfection orders from state governments. Governor Kathy Hochul+1

Workers on farms and in processing facilities face exposure risk even though human infections remain rare. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes high-exposure tasks such as handling sick birds or milk from infected dairy cattle. CDC

What farmers & government are doing

To combat the virus, multiple strategies are being deployed:

• Increased surveillance and movement control: Farms report unusual deaths or respiratory signs, and government agencies impose quarantines or closures to halt spread. Governor Kathy Hochul+1

• Cleaning and disinfection protocols: Facilities must clean, disinfect, and depopulate affected flocks according to guidance from the USDA’s animal health divisions. APHIS+1

• Strict biosecurity practices: Farms are limiting access, requiring sanitized footwear, controlling wild bird interactions, and ensuring that vehicles and equipment are cleaned between sites. agr.wa.gov

• Use of registered disinfectants: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lists products that are registered specifically for Avian Influenza A viruses and animal housing sites. epa.gov

Despite these efforts, traditional disinfectants often come with trade-offs: harsh fumes, corrosive effects on equipment, limited penetration in organic-laden environments, or long contact times.

Why HOCl (hypochlorous acid) is a game-changer

Hypochlorous acid (HOCl) is emerging as a powerful alternative in the battle against avian influenza and other farm-level pathogens. Research suggests HOCl solutions are effective in reducing viral load on surfaces and in aerosols—even under agricultural conditions. PMC

Key advantages of HOCl:

• Broad-spectrum efficacy: HOCl has been proven to inactivate influenza viruses, including avian strains, on hard surfaces when applied correctly.

• Safe for equipment & animals: Being non-corrosive and residue-free, HOCl poses fewer risks to poultry houses, metal equipment, ventilation systems, and animal welfare.

• Better worker safety: Because HOCl has minimal fumes and low VOC profiles, it reduces respiratory or skin-irritation hazards compared to stronger chemical disinfectants.

• Quicker turnaround: HOCl can be deployed more frequently and safely for daily sanitation, not just emergency response—helping reduce the window of vulnerability between flocks.

• Reduced chemical load: Facilities benefit from less harsh chemical waste, easier handling, and potentially lower environmental impact.

Deploying HOCl in poultry-production systems

For farms contemplating HOCl integration, the following best practices apply:

1. Pre-clean organic load: HOCl works best once surfaces are free of heavy manure, litter or debris—consistent with USDA guidance. APHIS

2. Ensure proper contact time and saturation: Even HOCl needs the correct contact time on surfaces to ensure viral inactivation. Confirm label guidance.

3. Use multiple formats: Sprays for daily cleaning, fogging/misting for whole-house sanitation, and foot baths or vehicle disinfection as part of transport biosecurity.

4. Monitor compatibility and safety: HOCl is highly compatible with sensitive equipment, metals and fabrics—reducing risks of corrosion common with bleach or phenolic disinfectants.

5. Integrate into broader biosecurity protocols: HOCl isn’t a standalone fix. It works best when paired with access control, vehicle sanitation, PPE use, drainage control and wildlife/vector management.

The bottom line

Avian influenza isn’t just a poultry problem, it’s a supply-chain risk, a public-health issue and an economic threat. Farmers, integrators and government alike are investing in stronger protections and smarter tools.Hypochlorous acid represents one of the most promising technologies in that fight: safe, scalable, effective. When correctly applied, HOCl-based solutions like Envirocleanse-A offer facilities a stronger line of defense—with fewer trade-offs and more flexibility. For any poultry operation serious about protecting its flocks, its people and its business, HOCl may well be the next level of biosecurity.