College of Veterinary Medicine
Search Close Search
Apply
Toggle Menu

ILHAC Research Priorities: 2026 – College of Veterinary Medicine

A cooperative effort between Iowa’s livestock industry, the State of Iowa and the ISU College of Veterinary Medicine, the Council advisory board identifies high impact animal disease research projects. Researchers actively pursue innovative solutions in animal health, food safety, and security that proactively address disease concerns threatening Iowa’s livestock industry.

All Poultry

  1. Animal wellbeing issues
    • Lack of approved efficacious drugs and investigation into rationale for removal of effective antibiotics and/or pain management drugs in poultry
    • Finding antibiotic substitutes
    • Consideration of conditional use of drugs ie: Baytril
  2. Avian Influenza infections – Low Path Avian Influenza (LPAI) and High Path Avian Influenza (HPAI) epidemiology, prevention and control, research to identify routes of infection
  3. Antimicrobial resistance and antibiotic substitutes in poultry production and/or other therapeutic options.

Turkeys

  1. Avian Metapneumovirus (aMPV)
  2. Lack of approved, efficacious drugs
  3. Avian Influenza, High Path (HPAI)
  4. Clostridial Dermatitis (Cellulitis)
  5. Colibacillosis
  6. Salmonella
  7. Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale (ORT)
  8. Leg Problems
  9. TR-DFTR (Turkey Reovirus Digital Flexor Tendon Rupture)
  10. Mycoplasma synoviae (MS)
  11. THRV (Turkey Hepatitis Reovirus)

Layers and Broilers

  1. E.coli Peritonitis (#1 disease raised by veterinarians in egg production)
  2. False layer syndrome (bronchitis virus)
  3. Food Safety – Salmonella spp. (SE and SH)
  4. Clostridial infection: necrotic enteritis and Focal Duodenal Necrosis (FDN)
  5. Internal Parasites – including Coccidiosis and round It is believed these challenges will only become greater with the increased prevalence of Cage-free production. At the present time, there are no treatments available.
  6. Egg Drop Syndrome
  7. Campylobacter hepatitis and Spotty Liver Syndrome
  8. Internal parasites (round worm treatment for organic producers)

  1. Antimicrobial Resistance (monitoring antibiotic use, looking for information/data to counteract misinformation, prevention control treatment, proof that drugs (antibiotics) are used properly, variability of normal dose)
  2. Animal Well-being Issues
    • Mastitis
    • Lameness
    • Respiratory Disease
    • Discover or develop an FDA approved analgesic for food-producing animals
  3. Mycoplasma bovis
  4. Johne’s Disease

  1. Digital Dermatitis (hairy heel wart)
  2. Theileria
  3. Trichomiasis (surveillance, identification/verification-cost effective manner)
  4. Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD)/Mycoplasma bovis
  5. Anaplasmosis
  6. Animal well-being issues
  7. New World Screwworm(Cochliomyia hominivorax) (NWS)
  8. Johne’s Disease
  9. Bovine Viral Diarrhea (BVD)
  10. Biosecurity

  1. PEDV
    • Mitigation strategies
    • Eradication process
  2. Mycoplasma Hyopneumoniae
    • Eradication process
  3. PRRSV
    • Closure/elimination process
  4. Swine Influenza
    • H5N1 in Swine
    • Influenza elimination process
  5. E.Coli F18 & F88
  6. Rotavirus
    • Impact on morbidity pre- and post-weaning
  7. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
  8. Seneca Valley Virus

 

  1. Parasitic disease in sheep and Goats
    • effective use of dewormers while preventing parasite resistance.
    • effective management techniques to control parasite disease.
    • DNA research for parasite resistance
  2. Abortion Causes in Sheep and Goats:
    • Campylobacter jejuni vaccine
    • Cache Vally Virus
  3. Mycoplasma ovipnuemoniae prevalence, economic importance, conditions and vaccine potential
  4. Development of an effective foot rot vaccine.
  5. Coccidiosis prevention in young lambs and feeder lambs.

 

  • 1. HPAI is a concern for all species
  • 1. Respiratory Diseases in livestock
  • 2. Antimicrobial resistance & antibiotic stewardship
  • 3. Anthelmintic and antiparasitic – including ectoparasite control
  • 4. Animal well-being issues of lameness & pain control
  • 5. Neonatal diarrhea in livestock