US pork industry launches US$4M defence against H5N1 in swine herds amid rising threats

USA – The Swine Health Information Center (SHIC), Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR), and the Pork Checkoff have joined forces to launch a US$4 million research program to safeguard the U.S. swine industry from the rising threat of H5N1 avian influenza. 

This initiative aims to bolster strategies for preventing, detecting, and managing H5N1 in swine following its recent detection in a backyard pig in Oregon.

While H5N1, also known as avian influenza, typically affects poultry, the virus’s appearance in a pig that shared space with poultry underscores the risks posed to commercial swine herds, which play a crucial role in U.S. agriculture. 

Given the virus’s capability to infect various mammalian species, including swine, the joint initiative by SHIC, FFAR, and Pork Checkoff is set to proactively address these risks by enhancing biosecurity, developing vaccines, and improving surveillance within the pork industry.

The research initiative, open for proposals, will focus on critical topics such as vaccine development, virus transmission dynamics, biosecurity practices, and the virus’s potential impact on pork production. 

Projects offering broad industry benefits and adopting collaborative approaches are especially encouraged, with funding for proposals capped at US$250,000. 

Proposals should outline their plans to address specific areas within 12 to 18 months, with a December 31 deadline for submission.

Dr. Paul Sundberg, Executive Director of SHIC, highlighted the proactive nature of this program. 

“This research is essential to anticipate and mitigate the impacts of H5N1 on our swine herds. We aim to ensure that the pork industry is prepared to manage this risk with well-informed strategies,” he stated.

SHIC’s strategic mission centres around minimising emerging disease threats to U.S. swine through preparedness and coordinated disease surveillance. 

In alignment with this mission, the H5N1 research initiative addresses the virus’s potential health risks and economic impacts, which has shown an increasing ability to spread among various species in the U.S. and worldwide.

Through this targeted research program, the partnership between SHIC, FFAR, and the Pork Checkoff hopes to build a comprehensive defence against the spread of H5N1 into commercial swine herds, ensuring the U.S. pork industry’s resilience in the face of evolving disease threats.

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