NE Ga. Businessman Develops System To Protect Against Avian Flu Virus

By MJ Kneiser, WLHR Radio, Lavonia

With the threat of Avian influenza now on Georgia’s doorstep, one local businessman has developed a system to disinfect all trucks and vehicles coming onto a poultry farm.

Jeff Schwan is the owner of Farm Guard Systems, LLC.

Schwan has developed a disinfecting drive-through spray system that he says will kill the avian influenza virus on all vehicles entering a poultry farm.

Schwan said he got the idea several years ago from a friend who owns a poultry farm.

“A good friend of mine who has chicken houses told me that the feed truck drivers were having to get out of their trucks and spray their trucks with a pumper sprayer and spray the wheels and tires before they came on the poultry farm,” Schwan said. “I suggested we do something like this so they don’t even have to get out of the truck.”

The spray system consists of two over arching sprayers tall enough for any kind of commercial poultry truck to fit through with multiple sprayers on each.

Schwan said as the truck passes through it is sprayed with a mixture of Virocid disinfectant and water, both over and under the vehicle.

“The uprights are 14-ft wide and are 17-ft high and the sprayer nozzles go all the way to the top to cover the entire surface of the vehicle,” he said. “There are also six nozzles under the vehicle to cover the under carriage. There are 18 nozzles total.”

According to Schwan each spray uses about a gallon per minute per nozzle at about 60 psi.

Schwan said the drive through spray system has been two years in development and his system will soon be patented.

With the outbreak of the Avian flu virus in the upper Midwest, Schwan said he’s already had a lot of interest from poultry farmers as well as poultry processors.

One local business, Royston Shavings, already has Schwan’s drive-through system in place.

“Royston Shavings do every truck coming and going,” he said. “They service hundreds of poultry farm in the surrounding counties. They go from farm to farm on a daily basis and they need to be diligent about spreading disease.”

To learn more about the Farm Guard disinfecting system for vehicles, you can go online to the Farm Guard Systems Facebook page or contact Schwan directly at 706-244-5753.