Have you experienced a disease outbreak at your animal care facility?
Have you experienced a disease outbreak at your animal care facility? If so, you know the challenges and consequences of trying to contain and overcome the outbreak. Disease control and efforts to mitigate potential disease outbreaks are the most critical aspects of safe animal sheltering.
Overcome Diseases in your animal care facility
There are many different types of disease, both bacterial and viral, and there are so many ways diseases can spread and negatively impact animal outcomes for the shelter. There are a few different ways to address disease through your HVAC system in particular, all working in concert to provide the best treatment possible.
Smaller Independent HVAC Zones
The first and most obvious way to address disease is by using smaller, independent HVAC zones. Often, buildings only have one or two HVAC zones, so there is little ability to separate areas and quarantine spaces. We use smaller HVAC zones to increase flexibility and isolate spaces that may have a sick animal and even control noise.
Fresh Air
The second way to address disease is through the use of fresh, or outside, air. The idea is that the more outside air you pull into a space, the less potentially contaminated air has to recirculate and potentially affect other animals.
Air exchanges per hour is a standard recognized by the industry for bringing fresh air into the space. The problem is that it is a bit unrealistic, both with the energy code and the operational budget of the shelter, to bring in that much fresh air throughout the entire shelter. Instead, the DLI animal care building experts look at the use of each HVAC zone and determine which may be used for healthy holding (less outside air is required) and which may be used for isolation and quarantine spaces (more outside air is required). Different spaces in shelters require different levels of outside air and it is important to be purposeful in these decisions.
Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation (UVGI)
The third way to address disease is through ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) which works to kill disease. At DLI, we use this technology in all of our shelters to address disease and dirty air in the HVAC system itself. There is also the option to use UVGI units that are not directly connected to the mechanical units of the building but rather hang below the ceiling of each room where it is needed, which is very useful for existing shelters that want to make improvements.
Dehumidification
The final way to address disease is through dehumidification. Humidity is the enemy in a shelter. Kennels are constantly washed down, areas are continuously cleaned, and humid outside air is brought into the shelter. Shelters are very wet environments that are breeding grounds for disease. The use of fresh air addresses one issue related to disease with air recirculation but does not address how that air is treated from the outside.
One interesting thing to point out is that many mechanical units have the option to include dehumidification, but our concern is not when the HVAC system is running and dehumidification is occurring; our concern is for the days that are cold and wet and don't require the air conditioning but are very humid. There is no system in place to treat that air without the air conditioning running. That is why independent dehumidification is vital to animal shelters. Dehumidification must be able to operate in all climates and conditions to address disease effectively.
Ready to Mitigate Disease Outbreaks through Engineering?
As you can see, there is a complex intermingling of pieces within the HVAC design of a facility that affects the facility's ability to address disease. Outside air affects humidity levels, humidity levels affect dehumidification and UVGI requirements, and HVAC zoning affects outside air level requirements. All aspects of the mechanical design must be considered together as a cohesive unit. One cannot be removed from the other.
At DLI, we consider all aspects of the mechanical design for every project we complete. We review the specific needs and operations of a facility (new or existing) and determine how to address the disease through our mechanical design. Call us at 860-889-7078 or schedule a consultation online to discuss your animal care facility today.
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