A University of Missouri researcher has received a $1.9 million grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to fund avian flu research.
Wenjun Ma works Mizzou's School of Medicine and College of Veterinary Medicine and is working to develop a vaccination for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, commonly known as the bird flu.
The bird flu is a highly contagious virus that is easily spread among animals. According to the National Chicken Council, when one bird tests positive for bird flu, the entire flock is automatically prevented from entering the food supply.
Ma wants to ensure that outbreaks can become more contained, so the poultry industry can continue to thrive. He added that controlling the spread of avian flu can positively impact international trade and ensure the virus isn’t transferred to humans. Human transmission is rare, but there have been 71 confirmed cases and two deaths since 2024 caused by avian flu.
“We need ... this good vaccine, so we can differentiate between affected birds from the vaccinated animals,” Ma said.
Ma emphasized that being able to tell the difference between affected and vaccinated birds could save livestock and protect farmers from drastic economic losses.
Ma will use the funds to work alongside Wesley Warren, PhD and John Driver, PhD to better understand how a chicken's pulmonary network rewires itself following an HPAI infection.
The grant will also be used to create vaccines and research for a similar poultry killer: Newcastle disease.
