Disinfecting for Swine Flu

Banner Chemical's Disinfectant line, "Ban-Dis," is effective against the Influenza A virus, when used as directed. It is possible that this could mean it also is effective against Swine Flu. However, the CDC has not yet tested for Swine flu, so there is no definitive way to know if any products could make Swine Flu claims.

Here is the April Bulletin from Stepan, the company that holds Banner Chemical's BAN-DIS registration, concerning disinfectant products and Swine Flu:

Highlight: Swine Flu in the News

On Sunday, April 26, The U.S. Department of Homeland Security declared a public
health emergency in an attempt to stop the spread of swine flu virus.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website (www.cdc.gov), as
well as the World Health Organization (WHO) website (http://www.who.int/en/), are
two reputable sources for up-to-date information on the swine flu. As of April 30,
2009, there have been 109 confirmed cases and one death reported in the United
States. Worldwide, there are 257 cases in nine countries. The World Health
Organization raised the phase for pandemic alert from Phase 4 to Phase 5. This
phase is characterized by human-to-human spread of the virus into at least two
countries in one WHO region.

What is swine flu?

Swine influenza (swine flu) is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza
virus that regularly causes outbreaks of influenza in pigs. Swine flu viruses cause
high levels of illness but have low death rates in pigs. Swine influenza viruses may
circulate among swine throughout the year, but most outbreaks occur during the late
fall and winter months similar to outbreaks in humans. The classical swine flu virus
(an influenza type A H1N1 virus) was first isolated from a pig in 1930.
How many swine flu viruses are there?
Like all influenza viruses, swine flu viruses change constantly. Pigs can be infected by
avian influenza and human influenza viruses as well as swine influenza viruses. When
influenza viruses from different species infect pigs, the viruses can reassort (i.e.
swap genes), and new viruses that are a mix of swine, human and/or avian influenza
viruses, can emerge. Over the years, different variations of swine flu viruses have
emerged. At this time, there are four main influenza type A virus subtypes that have
been isolated in pigs: H1N1, H1N2, H3N2, and H3N1. However, most of the recently
isolated influenza viruses from pigs have been H1N1 viruses.

Does Stepan offer any biocidal formulations that are effective against the
swine influenza as reported in the news?

Stepan Company does not have a swine influenza claim on any of our registered
disinfectants/sanitizers, therefore you cannot make a claim of efficacy against swine
influenza on any subregistration. The "swine flu" is a genetic reassortment of the
H1N1 virus that contains elements of swine, avian, and human influenza. None of
the contract testing labs are likely to have this virus available for testing for quite
some time.
However, Stepan knows from experience that influenza strains are enveloped viruses
and that quaternary disinfectants are effective against enveloped viruses. Many
Stepan disinfectants are effective against both avian and human flu virus strains,
and Stepan has reason to believe that these disinfectants would be effective against
the swine flu strain that is making headlines. Noted on the next page are those
Stepan subregistrations that are effective against both avian influenza virus and
human influenza virus.

Visit us at www.stepan.com

US EPA Guidance

Ms. Michele Wingfield, Branch Chief, Product Science Branch of the US EPA Office of
Pesticide Programs, Antimicrobial Division is recommending the use of any registered
product with label claim against Influenza A. If your products have an Influenza A
label claim, you can use against the current H1N1 strain. That being said, you
cannot add "swine flu" to your label just because you have influenza A. The
Administration is currently calling this strain 2009-H1N1 flu instead of swine flu.

Other Stepan subregistrations
effective against both avian influenza virus and human influenza virus
US EPA Registration No. Registration Name
1839-79 NP4.5 Detergent/Disinfectant
1839-83 Detergent Disinfectant Pump Spray
1839-86 BTC® 2125M 10% Solution
1839-95 NP 4.5 (D&F) Detergent/Disinfectant
1839-155 BTC® 2125M 20% Solution
1839-166 BTC® 885 Neutral Disinfectant Cleaner-128
1839-167 BTC® 885 Neutral Disinfectant Cleaner-256
1839-169 BTC® 885 Neutral Disinfectant Cleaner-64
1839-173* 7.5% BTC® 885 Disinfectant/Sanitizer
*All of the above are registered in the State of California and Canada except for EPA Reg. No. 1839-173.

The term “swine flu”

WHO will stop using the term “swine flu” after the agricultural industry and the U.N.
food agency expressed concern that the term “swine flu” was misleading consumers
and needlessly causing countries to order the slaughter of pigs. WHO will be
referencing the virus by its technical scientific name H1N1 influenza A.