The Swine Health Information Center is calling for research proposals aimed at addressing H5N1 avian influenza in the U.S. swine herd

In March USDA confirmed the first case of highly pathogenic avian influenza in a dairy cow in Texas, the infection was subsequently identified in over 200 herds in 14 states and in October the first detection of H5N1 was reported in a pig in a small Oregon backyard farm.

In response the Swine Health Information Center, the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research and the Pork Checkoff have partnered to fund research to enhance prevention, preparedness, mitigation and response for H5N1 in the U.S. swine herd.

SHIC Executive Director Dr. Megan Niederwerder says researchers are invited to summit proposals based on 10 research priorities.

 “We also want to look at what are the biosecurity characteristics that would best protect our hog population”

 

 

“Those research priorities include the use of vaccines, investigating the clinical presentation of H5N1 in pigs, looking at the potential for mammary transmission, understanding the best diagnostic surveillance through various diagnostic tests and sampling criteria, also looking at introduction risks.

 

“We talked about multispecies operations but we also operational connections with other livestock industries.

 

“The sixth priority is looking at caretakers and preventing any zoonotic transmission from pigs to people or people to pigs.

 

“We also want to look at what are the biosecurity characteristics that would best protect our hog population, talking about food safety with consumers, also mitigating the production impact on farm and understanding the safest pig movement for business continuity.

 

“We’re looking at those ten research priorities with a total of four million dollars through our partnership.

 

“We’ve invited researchers who are looking at these priorities from both academic institutions as well as private institutions, again those researchers that are capable of addressing these priorities.”

 

Details on the call for proposals and a proposal template can be found at swinehealth.org. Proposals should be submitted by the end of this year and will be reviewed in early 2025.