Zoetis: Heritage Feeds Tomorrow. Pride. Commitment. Purpose. Values to carry you

AASV Foundation Funds Three Research Proposals

Dr Paul Ruen, chairman of the AASV Foundation, announced the selection of three research proposals for funding during the foundation's annual luncheon on March 10th in Orlando, Florida. The foundation granted a total of $60,000 to support efforts by researchers at Iowa State University, the University of Minnesota, and Kansas State University.

A $30,000 grant was awarded to help Dr Locke Karriker and various co-investigators at Iowa State University answer the question, "Does knowledge of testing procedures or the format of culture and susceptibility reports from veterinary diagnostic laboratories influence antimicrobial selection decisions?" The two objectives of the study are to determine if training about how laboratory susceptibility results are generated changes antimicrobial selection, and determine if the format and context of antimicrobial susceptibility reports changes antimicrobial selection. Results of the study will be disseminated through RACE approved continuing education for veterinarians, peer reviewed publication, and updated professional curriculum. Data from this study may support further studies aimed at influencing behaviors that may impact antimicrobial resistance.

Dr Fabio Vannucci and co-investigators at the University of Minnesota were awarded $19,700 to fund the project, "Development of a diagnostic platform for in situ detection and subtyping of PRRSv within histological lesions." The goals of the project are to develop and validate a novel RNA-ISH for in situ detection and genotyping PRRSv strains in lung lesions, evaluate the analytical performance and agreement between PRRSv ORF5 sequences detected by RNA-ISH in lung lesions and by classical sequencing obtained from tissue homogenate, and differentiate wild type PRRSv from vaccine strain in lung tissues of animals naturally infected during outbreak scenario. The research will offer a rapid diagnostic tool to genetically characterize PRRSv strain in association with histopathological lesions.

The Foundation granted $10,300 to Dr Hans Coetzee from Kansas State University to fund the proposal, "Evaluating the plasma pharmacokinetics, efficacy and tissue residues of oral firocoxib following transmammary delivery from sows to piglets." He and co-investigators will describe the pharmacokinetics (PK) and bioavailability of oral firocoxib in sows, develop and validate a drug regimen for transmammary delivery of oral firocoxib from sows to piglets at processing, and describe the tissue residue concentrations of firocoxib in sows and piglets following oral administration. This research will optimize the dose, duration, and frequency of administration of oral firocoxib in sows for transmammary delivery to piglets prior to processing so that this can be safely and effectively implemented on swine production systems.

Dr Teddi Wolff chaired the scientific subcommittee responsible for reviewing and scoring the proposals received for consideration, and she joins the Foundation in thanking Drs Rick Swalla, Robyn Fleck, Matt Ackerman, Luc Dufresne, and Clayton Johnson for their participation on this important subcommittee. Each proposal submitted was given careful consideration.

An overview of past and current projects funded by the foundation is available at http://www.aasv.org/foundation/research.htm. The foundation will issue its next call for research proposals in the fall of 2019.