Notice to Industry 13: Approved disinfectants

This document lists disinfectants that have been approved by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) for use in horse pre-export quarantine (PEQ) facilities and onshore facilities accepting horses imported from the northern hemisphere (including clearance facilities, class 7.12 Approved Arrangements, government post-arrival quarantine facilities for horses).

Appropriate disinfection of offshore and onshore facilities and transport vehicles used for imported horses are part of Australia’s risk mitigation measures for equine diseases of biosecurity concern.

The following information is not applicable to horse imports from New Zealand or New Caledonia.

Important: Specific advice on disinfection products and decontamination procedures will be provided in cases of a disease outbreak or emergency surgery, as not all disinfectants will be appropriate in these circumstances.

Offshore PEQ facilities have a range of disinfectants that have been approved for use, as listed in Table 1.

DAFF assesses and approves disinfectants for use in PEQ facilities if it is satisfied that scientific research shows efficacy against EI, EHV-1 and EVA during routine surface disinfection. 

Disinfectants not listed in Table 1 are not permitted to be used in PEQ facilities unless written approval has been provided by the department.

The efficacy of disinfectants is highly variable depending on the ambient conditions (specifically temperature) and how they are used.  The disinfectants listed in Table 1 are approved for use in PEQ facilities, only:

• when used in accordance with manufacturer’s directions, and
• when used in accordance with the individual disinfectant parameters set out in Table 1, and
• when surfaces are free from contamination with organic material.

Notes:

• The availability of disinfectants will vary between countries.
• The competent authority of the exporting country is responsible for identifying disinfectants proposed for use in PEQ facilities in the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP).
• The competent authority must notify the department if they wish to use a disinfectant in a manner other than that specified in the manufacturer’s recommendations.

Table 1 - Approved PEQ disinfectants

The following table summarises the disinfectants that are approved for use in offshore PEQ facilities.

Note: F10SC and Safe4 have all been assessed as NOT suitable for disinfection of surfaces and equipment in PEQ.

Approved onshore disinfectants for use at clearances of imported northern hemisphere horses, class 7.12 facilities, and government quarantine facilities for horses are listed in Table 2.

The efficacy of disinfectants is highly variable depending on the ambient conditions (specifically temperature) and how they are used.  The disinfectants listed in Table 2 are approved for use in clearance and post-arrival quarantine facilities, only:

• when used in accordance with manufacturer’s directions, and
• when used in accordance with the individual disinfectant parameters set out in Table 2, and
• when surfaces are free from contamination with organic material.

Disinfectants not listed in Table 2 are not permitted to be used at clearances of imported northern hemisphere horses, class 7.12 facilities, and government quarantine facilities, unless written approval has been provided by DAFF.

Table 2 - Approved onshore disinfectants

The following table summarises the disinfectants that are approved for use in onshore facilities that are clearing or managing the quarantine of horses imported from the northern hemisphere.