A new frontier in the fight against avian influenza

f you’ve noticed the rollercoaster price of eggs at the grocery store lately, you’ve felt the impact of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). Since 2022, the disease has cost the U.S. economy billions and led to the loss of millions of birds.

The University of Minnesota’s (UMN) College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) was awarded four major grants totaling nearly $5.5 million through the USDA’s HPAI Poultry Innovation Grand Challenge.This national initiative is a high-stakes sprint to find innovative ways to stop the virus, protect the poultry industry, and stabilize food prices for American families. Two additional grants were awarded to UMN researchers in the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS).

"Minnesota is a leader in poultry production, and these awards recognize that our researchers are at the forefront of the effort to end this crisis," says Laura Molgaard, dean of CVM. Read the full story here.