woman in lab coat holding a clip board standing in the center aisle of a large metal dairy barn petting the nose of one of the many black and white cows woman in lab coat holding a clip board standing in the center aisle of a large metal dairy barn petting the nose of one of the many black and white cows

FFAR Rapid Funding to Develop an Avian Flu Vaccine for Livestock

Manhattan, KS

  • Production Systems

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 $401,802 in a Rapid Outcomes from Agricultural Research (ROAR) grant to develop a vaccine to protect cattle and swine from H5N1.

The H5N1 variant of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) has killed more than 175 million birds on poultry farms since 2022, resulting in higher egg prices and over $1.4 billion in direct losses for the poultry industry. The spillover into dairy cattle costs nearly $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. 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.

 Miriam Martin LeValley, Ph.D.
Scientific Program Manager

Researchers led by Dr. 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.

Dr. Waithaka Mwangi

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.

 Dr. Waithaka Mwangi
Professor of diagnostic medicine and pathobiology at Kansas State University

FFAR’s ROAR program rapidly funds research and outreach in response to emerging or unanticipated threats to the U.S. food supply or agricultural systems.

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Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research

The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) builds public-private partnerships to fund bold research addressing big food and agriculture challenges. FFAR was established in the 2014 Farm Bill to increase public agriculture research investments, fill knowledge gaps and complement the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s research agenda. FFAR’s model matches federal funding from Congress with private funding, delivering a powerful return on taxpayer investment. Through collaboration and partnerships, FFAR advances actionable science benefiting farmers, consumers and the environment.

Connect: @FoundationFAR 

ID: 25-001648