Iowa State University Receives $2M for Animal Disease Preparedness Research

By Cami Koons

Iowa State University has been awarded more than $2 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to carry out six research projects that will help prevent and combat animal disease outbreaks. 

The Iowa awards were part of an announcement from the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, or APHIS, of $15.3 million for research that enhances preparedness, detection and response to “the most damaging diseases that threaten U.S. livestock.” 

Molly Lee, the associate director of ISU’s Center for Food Security and Public Health, said the projects will generate free resources for producers and animal health professionals. 

“Animal disease preparedness is a valuable investment that strengthens our food supply, ensures farmers’ livelihoods and protects public health,” Lee said in a statement. “Supporting animal agriculture with grants like these is a critical and efficient use of federal resources.”

Some of the projects build on general biosecurity protocol, like “Disinfection 201” which received $315,000 to further develop an existing online module with disinfection guidance for different species and diseases. The “just-in-time” project was awarded $447,000 to develop an on-demand library of information to expedite an outbreak response, and another would make general biosecurity protocol trainings more relevant to small and niche producers. 

Enhanced biosecurity has been a common phrase over the past several months as the highly pathogenic avian influenza continues to impact millions of birds and dairy cattle nationwide. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins recently announced $100 million to fund research around treatment, biosecurity and prevention of the bird flu. That funding, which is open for applications until May 19, is separate from the APHIS National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program, through which the ISU research was awarded.

Another ISU project was awarded $284,000 to develop training materials and workshops for preparedness against the Japanese encephalitis virus, which can infect humans and most domesticated animals, including swine. The virus is mostly present in Asia and has not been detected in the U.S.

The final two funded projects at ISU would increase biosecurity measures for horses and research around foreign animal diseases that could affect the aquatic animal industry.

The funding is part of the National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program which was authorized by the 2018 Farm Bill.

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