The purpose of this work is to evaluate far-UVC lighting as an intervention technology to prevent indoor avian influenza transmission in poultry

The Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service awarded a $1.998 million Cooperative Agreement to The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York on February 2, 2026, under the Plant and Animal Disease, Pest Control, and Animal Care program (CFDA 10.025) to evaluate far-UVC lighting as an intervention technology to prevent indoor avian influenza transmission in poultry.

The project addresses a gap in existing germicidal ultraviolet (GUV) technology. Conventional 254 nanometer GUV light effectively prevents avian influenza transmission in poultry but causes eye damage to chickens. Far-UVC light at 222 nanometers inactivates influenza viruses with equivalent efficacy while causing no tissue damage due to limited penetration, making it safe for direct exposure to animals and humans.

Columbia University will deliver three primary objectives: determine the susceptibility of avian influenza viruses H5N1 and H9N2 to far-UVC light exposure in aerosol, surface, and liquid conditions; directly evaluate far-UVC as an intervention for preventing transmission between chickens; and design, install, and evaluate a far-UVC installation in a poultry house while assessing impacts on chicken behavior and eye health. Deliverables include far-UVC susceptibility data, transmission rates with and without far-UVC lighting, fixture validation data, and assessments of animal health outcomes.

Work is performed in Irvington, New York, with a period of performance through February 1, 2029. ST Jude Children's Research Hospital Inc. serves as a sub-recipient, focusing on evaluating far-UVC to interrupt H9N2 and H5N1 virus transmission between chickens through lamp placement and chicken infection protocols (sub-award issued March 25, 2026).

Conventional germicidal ultraviolet (GUV) light, typically using 254 NM UVC light, is a well-established effective antimicrobial tool, and earlier studies with GUV in chicken houses reported complete prevention of virus transmission among chickens. However, the 254 NM GUV exposure had deleterious effects on the eyes of the chickens. This research explores using far- UVC light at 222 NM as an intervention to prevent indoor transmission of avian influenza without adverse health effects. The differentiating factor between far-UVC and GUV light is the limited penetration of far- UVC light into tissue, in particular here the eye, which makes IT possible to expose chickens (or humans) without harming the eyes or skin. Importantly, far-UVC has been shown to be as effective as GUV in inactivate microorganisms, including influenza viruses. This project has three objectives for the evaluation of far-UVC light for poultry applications: 1) determine the susceptibility of avian influenza viruses to far-UVC light when exposed in an aerosol, on a surface, or in a liquid; 2) direct evaluation of far-UVC light as an intervention for preventing transmission of avian influenza between chickens; and 3) designing, installing, and evaluating a far-UVC installation in a poultry house and evaluating its impact on chicken behavior and chicken eye health. The deliverables from this project include: far-UVC susceptibility data for avian influenza virus subtypes H5N1 and H9N2; transmission rates for avian influenza H5N1 and H9N2 between chickens with and without far-UVC lighting; validation data for far-UVC fixture operation within a poultry barn; assessments of chicken behavior and eye health for impact of far-UVC lighting. Outcomes from these objectives will provide the necessary efficacy and safety data to assess the potential for far-UVC lights to prevent avian influenza transmission within commercial poultry barns. Positive results will potentially benefit the entire poultry industry. This project includes subawards to ST. Jude children's research hospital, to support avian flu transmission studies, and texas a & M university, to support evaluation of far-UVC lighting in a realistic poultry house scenario.