H5N1 influenza, commonly known as bird flu, has increasingly infected dairy cattle and swine, threatening food security, rural livelihoods, and the economic stability of animal protein markets.

In response to these spillover events, the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) and Kansas State University are investing US$401,802 in a Rapid Outcomes from Agricultural Research grant to develop a vaccine to protect cattle and swine from H5N1.

The H5N1 variant of highly pathogenic avian influenza has killed more than 175 million birds on poultry farms since 2022, resulting in higher egg prices and over US$1.4 billion in direct losses for the poultry industry. The spillover into dairy cattle costs nearly US$750,000 in milk losses for a single herd. Despite the growing risk to cattle and swine, no vaccine is currently approved for use in livestock and available to producers, raising animal welfare concerns and putting both industries at risk of similar substantial economic losses.

"The spillover of H5N1 into livestock has highlighted that there are few mitigation tools readily accessible to producers at this time," said Miriam Martin LeValley, FFAR scientific programme manager. "This rapid funding is crucial to getting cattle and swine producers the tools they urgently need to protect their animals, their livelihoods, and the food supply."

Researchers led by Waithaka Mwangi, professor of diagnostic medicine and pathobiology at Kansas State University, are advancing a vaccine for use in both cattle and swine. This grant will help them develop a safe, effective vaccine that enhances biosecurity, supports agricultural continuity, and protects economic and food system resilience in the face of the evolving H5N1 threat.

‘‘We are excited to partner with FFAR to advance research aimed at developing a dual-use vaccine capable of inducing mucosal immunity against H5N1 in both cattle and pigs,'' said Mwangi.

FFAR's ROAR programme rapidly funds research and outreach in response to emerging or unanticipated threats to the US food supply or agricultural systems.

- Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research

Joint investment of US$401,802 in grant seeks to develop vaccine to protect cattle and swine from bird flu

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