N-halamine incorporated antimicrobial nonwoven fabrics for use against avian influenza virus.

Airborne pathogens are one of the most common avenues leading to poultry diseases. Preventing the avian influenza (AI) virus from entering the chicken hatchery house is critical for reducing the spread and transmission of AI disease. Many studies have investigated the incorporation of antimicrobials into air filters to prevent viruses from entering the indoor environment. N-halamines are one of the most effective antimicrobial agents against a broad spectrum of microorganisms. In this study, 1-chloro-2,2,5,5-tetramethyl-4-imidazolidinone (MC, a variety of N-halamine) was coated on nonwoven fabrics to give the fabric antimicrobial activity against the AI virus. Results showed that MC exhibited potent antiviral activity either in suspension or in the air. Higher concentrations of MC completely inactivated AI viruses and disrupted their RNA, preventing them from being detected by the real time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay. Coating the fabrics with MC resulted in remarkably reduced presence of AI virus on the MC-treated fabric in a short period of time. Furthermore, aerosolized AI viruses were completely inactivated when they passed through filters coated with the MC compound. In addition, MC is not volatile and does not release any gaseous chlorine. The active chlorine in the MC compound is stable, and the coating procedure is straightforward and inexpensive. Therefore, this study validates a novel approach to reducing airborne pathogens in the poultry production environment.