SHIC, FFAR, and Pork Checkoff Fund 10 H5N1 Risk to Swine Projects to Address Emerging Disease Threat

Jul 21, 2025

Manhattan, KS – The Swine Health Information Center, in collaboration with the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research and the Pork Checkoff, has recently funded 10 projects addressing research priorities and topics within its H5N1 Risk to Swine Research Program. Goals of the program are to enhance prevention, preparedness, mitigation, and response capabilities for H5N1 influenza in the US swine herd. The priority areas addressed through the funded projects include vaccine development and cross-protection, clinical presentation of pigs across different production phases, potential for mammary transmission, diagnostic surveillance, introduction and transmission risks, and biosecurity practices. The 10 new projects were initiated in summer 2025 and are 12 to 18 months in duration. Research outcomes from the funded projects will be shared with producers and veterinarians as soon as they become available.

The SHIC/FFAR/NPB H5N1 Risk to Swine Research Program request for proposals was announced on November 6, 2024, and received 51 proposals from 35 different institutions across six countries by the submission deadline of December 31, 2024. Proposals underwent a competitive review process across the first several months of 2025 by subject matter experts on influenza and the swine industry. Funding awarded across the 10 new projects totals $2.1 million of the $4 million total available for this collaborative research program. Funding timely research is an essential component of SHIC providing project outcomes that drive action for emerging disease prevention, preparedness, mitigation, and response for the US swine industry.

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Video: WARNING! Rough Start To Breeding Season!!

WARNING! Sheep Breeding Season Begins With A Bang! Breeding season is officially underway at Ewetopia Farms, but it didn’t exactly start the way we planned!

This vlog begins with us sorting through our rams to find the perfect match for a customer’s breeding program. What should have been routine quickly turned dangerous when one of our more nervous rams panicked. In seconds, Arnie’s knee was injured, and then I was slammed hard onto the concrete floor — both of us taken down by one ram!

Thankfully, it was just bruises, but it’s a reminder of how unpredictable and powerful mature rams can be. Once we recovered, it was time to get back to the real work — the start of breeding season.

We sorted the ewes into four breeding groups (two Suffolk and two Dorset), checking parentage as they ran through the chute, deworming those that needed it, and setting aside thinner ewes for session two of breeding season in a month’s time.This staggered approach keeps lambing organized and prevents overcrowding in the barns.

From rogue rams to the excitement of new breeding groups, this episode is full of action. Stay tuned for the next vlog, where we’ll share how we chose the rams for each group!