the inventive composition generally includes a biocide system , which includes a primary biocide and a ph buffering component . the primary biocide is selected according to the nature of the microorganisms sought to be controlled , for example , a quaternary ammonium salt . the ph buffer is an electrically - activated acid / salt or base / salt composition that aids in breaking down the cell walls of microorganisms for the delivery of the primary biocide without causing irritation to the skin of the livestock . by way of example , a suitable ph buffer is disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 7 , 824 , 524 , which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety , or in a u . s . patent application ser . no . 13 / 346 , 160 , entitled “ reactive , non - corrosive , and dermal - friendly composition and methods for manufacturing ” which is also incorporated by reference herein in its entirety and filed contemporaneously with this patent application . the ph buffer is chosen for compatibility with the primary biocide . along with the primary biocide , the inventive composition includes a surfactant which helps disperse the biocidal system disperse on the treated surfaces of the pen along with a thickening agent , which helps keep the biocidal system in contact with the treated surfaces of the pen . further , the inventive composition includes a carrier which helps dissolve the other components and aids in the delivery of the biocidal system . additionally , the inventive composition may include other substances which do not contribute to its antimicrobial function but add to the usability of the product ; for example , the composition may include dyes and fragrances . the disclosed compositions comprise from about 0 . 05 % to about 0 . 75 % by weight of a biocidal system . the biocidal system comprises at least about 75 % by weight of a primary biocide primary biocide and at least about 5 % by weight of a ph buffering component ph buffer component . the ph buffer is chosen for compatibility with the primary biocide . suitable biocides include quaternary ammonium compounds chosen from ( c12 - c14 alkyl ) ( c1 - c2 dialkyl ) benzyl ammonium salts , n —( c12 - c18 alkyl ) heteroaryl ammonium salts , and n —[( c12 - c14 alkyl ) ( c1 - c2 dialkyl )] heteroarylalkylene ammonium salts . non - limiting examples of the ( c12 - c14 alkyl ) ( c1 - c2 dialkyl ) benzyl ammonium salts include ( c12 - c14 alkyl ) dimethyl - benzyl ammonium chloride , ( c12 - c14 alkyl ) dimethylbenzyl ammonium bromide , and ( c12 - c14 alkyl ) dimethylbenzyl ammonium hydrogen sulfate . non - limiting examples of the n —( c12 - c18 alkyl ) heteroaryl ammonium salts include cetyl pyridinium chloride , cetyl pyridinium bromide , and cetyl pyridinium hydrogen sulfide . for the n —( c12 - c18 alkyl ) heteroaryl ammonium salts other anions can be used . further examples of quaternary ammonium compounds suitable for use as the primary biocides include cetyltrimethylammonium chloride , stearyltrimethylammonium chloride , isostearyltrimethylammonium chloride , lauryltrimethylammonium chloride , behenyltrimethyl - ammonium chloride , octadecyltrimethylammonium chloride , cocoyltrimethyl ammonium chloride , cetyltrimethylammonium bromide , stearyltrimethylammonium bromide , lauryl - trimethylammonium bromide , isostearyllauryldimethylammonium chloride , dicetyldimethyl - ammonium chloride , distearyldimethylammonium chloride , dicocoyldimethylammonium chloride , gluconamidopropyldimethylhydroxyethylammonium chloride , di -[ polyoxyethylene ( 2 )] oleylmethylammonium chloride , dodecyldimethylethylammonium chloride , octyldihydroxyethylmethylammonium chloride , tri [ polyoxyethylene ( 5 )]- stearylammonium chloride , polyoxypropylenemethyldiethylammonium chloride , lauryl - dimethyl ( ethylbenzyl ) ammonium chloride , behenamidopropyl - n , n - dimethyl - n -( 2 , 3 - dihydroxypropyl ) ammonium chloride , tallowedimethylammoniopropyltrimethylammonium dichloride , and benzalconium chloride . a second group of suitable biocides includes copper , zinc , silver , salts of chlorides , chlorites , perchlorates , hypochlorates , hypochlorites , sulfates , sulfites , bisulfates and bisulfites . also , colloid metal such as silver , gold , copper and zinc have superior biocidal properties . colloidal silver , gold , copper and zinc are extracted and created as ultrafine ( 0 . 010 - 0 . 001 micron ) particles . a third group of suitable biocides include organic acids which are safe under the fda gras guidelines for food production yet still effective in controlling bacteria . the basic principle action of organic acids on bacteria is that non - dissociated organic acids can penetrate a bacterium cell wall and cause disruption due to the fact it cannot tolerate a wide internal and external ph gradient . with the passive diffusion of organic acids into the bacteria , the acids will dissociate and lower the bacteria &# 39 ; s internal ph , leading to an environment that will inhibit or stop the growth of bacteria and viruses . the anionic part of the organic acids that cannot escape the bacteria in its dissociated form will accumulate within the bacteria and disrupt many metabolic functions . this will cause the osmotic pressure inside the cell to increase which state is incompatible with bacterial survival . the first group of suitable organic acids is lactic , acetic , formic , fumaric , citric , oxalic , adipic and uric . the second group of suitable organic acids is the carboxylic acids , whose acidity is associated with their carboxyl group — cooh . sulfonic acids , containing the group — so2oh , are relatively stronger acids . the relative stability of the conjugate base of the acid determines its acidity . in some biological systems more complex organic acids such as l - lactic , citric , and d - glucuronic acids are formed . these use the hydroxyl or carboxyl group . the third group of suitable organic acids are humic , sebacic , stearic , gallic , palmitic , caffeic , glyoxylic , fulvic , carnosic , anthranilic , ellagic , lipoic , chlorogenic , rosmarinic , phosphoric , methacrylic , oleanic , nitrohumic , florocinnamic , hexaflorosilicic , hydrofluoric , hydroxycitric and silicofluoric . the fourth group of suitable organic acids is fruit acids . the acids in fruits are chiefly acetic , malic , citric , tartaric , oxalic , and in some instances boric . malic acid is present in apples , pears , currants , blackberries , raspberries , quince , pineapple , cherries , and rhubarb . citric acid is found in lemons , oranges , grapefruit , lemons , limes , quince , gooseberry , strawberry , raspberry , currant , and cranberry . tartaric acid occurs in grapes . boric acid is found in many fresh fruits and vegetables . mandelic acid is present in almonds . the fifth group of suitable organic acids is beta hydroxy acids which is a type of phenolic acid . salicylic acid is a colorless crystalline organic acid whose main active ingredient obtained from this source is a monohydroxiybenzoic acid . the sixth group of suitable organic acids is a class of products that break biofilm . biofilms are the protective layer / barrier that surround bacteria . some species are not able to attach to a surface on their own but are often able to anchor themselves to the matrix or the bacteria cells . it is during this colonization that the cells are able to communicate via its quorum sensing ability . once colonization has begun , the biofilm grows through a combination of cell division and recruitment . the final stage of biofilm formation is known as development and is the stage in which the biofilm is established and may only change in shape and size . the development of a biofilm may allow an aggregate cell colony to be increasingly resistant . a biofilm &# 39 ; s hard protective surface can be broken by lactobacillus sc nisin which is produced by fermentation using the bacterium lactococcus lactis . this is obtained from the culturing of lactococcus lactis on natural substrates , such as milk or dextrose , and is not chemically synthesized . this is a peptide which is produced by the food grade dairy starter bacterium lactococcus lactis . a seventh group of suitable organic acids is natural enzymes . enzymes are proteins that catalyze chemical reactions and range from just 62 amino acid residues . typically , these are protease , lipase , diastase and cellulase enzymes . enzymes are usually very specific as to which reactions they catalyze and the substrates that are involved in these reactions . the shape , charge and hydrophilic / hydrophobic nature characterize the enzymes . the disclosed composition comprises a ph buffer that is a low ph dermal safe composition with the following range of specifications : a biocidal , dermal , non - corrosive acid composition , having a maximum proton count of 1 . 5 × 10 ̂ 25 , an embodied conductivity range of from 250 mv to 1500 mv and a 0 . 1 % solution of the composition having a ph of under 2 . 0 . the ph buffer component of the present invention can be a highly protonated , supercharched , low ph , non - corrosive composition . by way of example , such a composition disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 7 , 824 , 524 , which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety or in a u . s . patent application ser . no . 13 / 346 , 160 , entitled “ reactive , non - corrosive , and dermal - friendly composition and methods for manufacturing ” which is also incorporated by reference herein in its entirety and filed contemporaneously with this patent application , both of which should be understood to be applicable to the present invention . in addition , other biocidal , dermal , non - corrosive acid compositions could be used providing they have a maximum proton count of 1 . 5 × 1025 , an embodied conductivity range of from 250 mv to 1500 mv and a 0 . 1 % solution of the composition having a ph of under 2 . 0 . the disclosed compositions may comprise from about 0 . 05 % to about 5 . 0 % by weight of a cationic surfactant having an hydrophile - lipophile balance (“ hlb ”) of from about 5 to about 30 . one aspect of the disclosed compositions comprises a cationic or ionic surfactant having an hlb of from about 12 to about 18 . a further aspect of the disclosed compositions comprises a cationic or ionic surfactant having an hlb of from about 13 to about 16 . another embodiment of the disclosed compositions comprise from about 0 . 1 % to about 4 . 0 % by weight of a cationic or ionic surfactant . suitable cationic or ionic surfactants for use in the disclosed compositions include polyoxyethylene c6 - c12 alkylphenyl ethers , polyoxyethylene sorbitan tri ( c12 - c18 )- alkanoates , polyoxyethylene sorbitan di ( c12 - c18 )- alkanoates , polyoxyethylene sorbitan mono -, di -, and tri -( c12 - c18 )- alkanoates , and polyoxyethylene c12 - c20 alkyl ethers . one category of suitable cationic or ionic surfactants for use in the disclosed compositions is the polyoxyethylene c6 - c12 alkylphenyl ethers having the formula : wherein y is a c6 - c12 alkyl unit and n is an index from 5 to 40 . non - limiting examples of c6 - c12 alkylphenyl ethers includes polyoxyethylene ( 5 ) isooctylphenyl ethers sold under the tradenames igepal ™ ca - 520 and igepal ™ co - 520 , polyoxyethylene ( 8 ) isooctylphenyl ethers sold under the tradename triton ™ x - 114 , polyoxyethylene ( 9 ) nonylphenyl ether sold under the tradename igepal ™ co - 630 , polyoxyethylene ( 10 ) isooctylphenyl ether sold under the tradename triton ™ x - 100 , polyoxyethylene ( branched ) nonylphenyl ethers sold under the tradename triton ™ n - 101 , polyoxyethylene ( 12 ) nonylphenyl ether sold under the tradename igepal ™ co - 720 , polyoxyethylene ( 12 ) isooctylphenyl ether sold under the tradename igepal ™ ca - 720 , polyoxyethylene ( 40 ) nonylphenyl ether sold under the tradename igepal ™ co - 890 , and polyoxyethylene ( 40 ) isooctylphenyl ether sold under the trade name triton ™ x - 405 . another category of cationic or ionic surfactants for use in the disclosed compositions are polyoxyethylene sorbitan mono -, di -, and tri -( c12 - c18 )- alkanoates , non - limiting examples of which include polyoxyethylene ( 20 ) sorbitan trioleate sold under the tradename tween ™ 85 , polyoxyethylene ( 20 ) sorbitan monooleate sold under the tradename tween ™ 80 , polyoxy - ethylene ( 20 ) sorbitan monostearate sold under the tradename tween ™ 60 , polyoxyethyl - ene ( 20 ) sorbitan monopalmitate sold under the tradename tween ™ 40 , and polyoxyethyl - ene ( 20 ) sorbitan monolaurate sold under the trade name tween ™ 20 . a further category of cationic or ionic surfactants for use in the disclosed compositions are polyoxyethylene c9 - c20 alkyl ethers , non - limiting examples of which include ethoxylate alcohols having the formula : wherein r is a linear or branched alkyl group having from 6 to 20 carbon atoms and m is an integer of about 2 to about 20 . on example of suitable ethoxylate alcohol surfactants are the neodol ™ ethoxylated alcohols from shell chemicals . non - limiting examples of suitable ethoxylated alcohols include neodol ™ 91 - 5 , neodol ™ 91 - 6 , neodol ™ 91 - 8 , neodol ™ 91 - 9 , neodol ™ 23 - 6 . 5 , 15 neodol ™ 25 - 5 , neodol ™ 25 - 7 , neodol ™ 25 - 9 , neodol ™ 25 - 12 , neodol ™ 45 - 7 , and neodol ™ 135 - 7 , available from basf . the disclosed compositions further may comprise from about 0 . 1 % to about 4 % by weight of a thickening agent . suitable thickening agents include hydroxynethyl cellulose , hydroxyethyl cellulose , methylcellulose , hydroxypropyl cellulose , methyl cellulose , carboxy methylcellulose , emulsifying waxes , alkyl triammonium methosulfate , and ceteraryl octanoate . although the disclosed compositions are aqueous based , certain ingredients may require the presence of a more lipophilic solvent for proper stabilization . preferred additional solvents are polyhydric alcohol solvents , or “ polyol ” solvents , such as the polyalkylene glycols having alkylene moieties containing about 2 - 3 carbon atoms , preferably the polyethylene glycols . molecular weight ranges of from about 200 - 4000 are preferred for the polyalkylene glycols ( e . g ., propylene glycol ). other examples of thickeners are polysaccharides and linear sulfated polysaccharides of natural origin , which increase the viscosity increase in solution , even at small concentrations . these can be classified as uncharged or ionic polymers natural gums obtained from seaweeds . these are agar , alginic acid sodium alginate , carrageenan ( kappa , iota or lambda ), gum arabic , gum ghatti , gum tragacanth , karaya gum , guar gum , locust bean gum , beta - glucan , chicle gum , dammar gum , glucomannan , mastic gum , psyllium seed husks , spruce gum , tara gum gellan gum and xanthan gum . another example of a suitable thickener poylsaccharides is starch which can be unmodified or modified using acid , enzymes , alkaline , bleached , oxidized , acetylated , hydroxpropylated , octenylsuccinic anhydride , carboxyethylated , phosphate , hydroxypropyl , and acetylated oxidated ), cationic , cold water , pregelatinized and instant starch . one embodiment of the disclosed compositions , utilizes hydroxyethyl cellulose in amounts of 0 . 5 %, 0 . 6 %, 0 . 7 %, 0 . 8 %, 0 . 9 %, and 1 % by weight of the composition adjusted for the emollient system and for the final method of applying the composition to the domesticated animal in need of treatment . in a further embodiment , the thickener can be xanthan gum in amounts of 0 . 5 %, 0 . 6 %, 0 . 7 %, 0 . 8 %, 0 . 9 %, and 1 % by weight of the composition adjusted for the emollient system and for the final method of applying the composition to the domesticated animal in need of treatment . the balance of the disclosed compositions may comprise a carrier . the carrier can be any suitable material that can dissolve the active ingredients and co - ingredients and deliver the biocidal system to the infected areas of the animal being treated . water is a convenient carrier for liquid embodiments of the disclosed composition . however , alcohols can be used to assist in the dissolving of the ingredients prior to dilution with water . embodiments of the disclosed compositions include gels , sprays , foams and creams , especially for treating cases wherein the infection may be chronic and the animal must be isolated from the rest of the animals and given more intense treatment . the disclosed compositions can further comprise one or more dyes at levels of from about 0 . 001 % to 0 . 5 %. non - limiting examples of suitable dyes are alizarine light blue b ( c . i . 63010 ), carta blue vp ( c . i . 24401 ), acid green 2g ( c . i . 42085 ), astrogen green d ( c . i . 42040 ), supranol cyanine 7b ( c . i . 42675 , maxilon blue 3rl ( c . i . basic blue 80 ), drimarine blue z - rl ( c . i . reactive blue 18 ), alizarine light blue h - rl ( c . i . acid blue 182 ), fd & amp ; c blue no . 1 and fd & amp ; c green no . 3 . ( see u . s . pat . no . 4 , 248 , 827 and u . s . pat . no . 4 , 200 , 606 , both incorporated herein by reference .). other colors which can be lakes that may be used are fd & amp ; c blue no . 1 — brilliant blue fcf , ( blue shade ), fd & amp ; c blue no . 2 — indigotine , ( dark blue shade ), fd & amp ; c green no . 3 — fast green fcf , ( turquoise shade ), fd & amp ; c red no . 40 — allura red ac , ( red shade ), fd & amp ; c red no . 3 — erythrosine , ( pink shade , commonly used in glace cherries ), fd & amp ; c yellow no . 5 — tartrazine , ( yellow shade ), fd & amp ; c yellow no . 6 — sunset yellow fcf , e110 ( orange shade ) another adjunct ingredient suitable for use in the compositions disclosed herein includes fragrances , for example , fragrances as disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 013 , 618 included herein by reference in its entirety . the selection and proportions of specific components for the inventive biocidal system will be based on the particular microorganisms to be controlled and the method of delivery , and other factors known to a person of skill in the art and / or easily derived from routine engineering using this disclosure as a guideline . by way of example , tables i - vi show the selection and proportions of specific components suitable for a biocidal system for use as a bovine pen spray . these compositions are provided as non - limiting examples of effective compositions . the amount of each component is measured in grams . the disclosed compositions can be used for various applications with the application route and dosage regimen dictated by the amount of bacteria , viruses or parasites present . as an example of possible applications of the invention , the compositions can be used on bedding , pens , hutches , its surroundings and on animals and / or stemming from microbial infections . the composition can be applied as a cleanser , scrub ( cleanser with abrasive properties ), spray , foam , lotion , or gel . the following procedures can be used to evaluate the disclosed compositions against various microorganisms . the results below further indicate the effectiveness of the disclosed compositions . bacterial tests were completed at biological consulting services of north florida , inc . on the following strains : e . coli ( atcc 15597 ), salmonella enterica ( atcc baa - 711 ), methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus ( mrsa ; baa - 44 ) and staphylococcus aureus atcc # 6538 . the results are documented in table a . viral tests were completed at biological consulting services of north florida , inc . on the following on the following orthomyxviridie virus atcc type ccl - 34 , influenza a / equi 2 ( atcc vr517 ) poliovirus 1 ( chat ; atcc vr - 1562 ), and rhinovirus 39 ( atcc vr - 340 ). the results are documented in table b . while particular embodiments of the present disclosure have been illustrated and described , it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure . it is therefore intended to cover in the appended claims all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of this disclosure .
compositions and methods for preventing or controlling bacteria , viruses and parasitic growths that cause diarrhea , pneumonia and septicemia in animals comprising a biocidal system comprised of a primary biocide and a ph buffer component ; a cationic or ionic surfactant having an hlb of from about 5 to about 30 ; a thickening agent ; and an aqueous based carrier .