Best Disinfectant for Feline Viruses

Best Disinfectant for Feline Viruses

The best for deactivating feline viruses

The best disinfectant for feline viruses is bleach (sodium hypochlorite). This conclusion is the result of scientific study. It has to be diluted, of course, and applied in the right way.

The viruses against which bleach was found to be effective were:

• feline herpes virus (FHV)
• feline calcivirus (FCV)
• panleukopenia - "panleuk"

Of these three, panleuk is the toughest to deactivate  (only 10% success) while there as a 100% success against herpes virus.

A 0.75% solution of bleach should be used. 0.75% is just under 1% solution. Typically bleach is bought at 3-5% solution, therefore it has to be diluted at 1 part bleach and about 6 parts water to make a 0.75% solution.

Around 8% of domestic cats show signs of viral infection rising to around 25% in multi-cat environments such shelters. Taking proactive steps against the spread of disease is important.

Surfaces with which cats come into contact should be wiped down with this bleach solution.

As for general preparation, this comment from Mr Z may assist:

Bleach is a wonderful product for disinfecting, just as long as it is prepared and applied the right way. That is, diluted with cold water, and thrown out and replaced with new every 24 hours. Also, all surfaces that bleach is applied on must be pre-cleaned with dish detergent, followed by scrubbing. A very cheap and easy to find solution for almost any shelter that has a very low budget and cannot afford a better disinfectant.

In addition, Duralactin Feline L-lysine, a food supplement is said to suppress herpes virus replication.

Note: this is a cross-post from the main website.