Research and Partnerships

Improved food safety relies largely on research.
The center facilitates basic and multi-disciplinary applied research aimed at evaluating options for improving animal health and food safety. We partner with epidemiologists, industry, public health, and agriculture officials to improve food safety. Current research projects are listed below, click here for past research projects.

Agriculture Experiment Station

Principal Investigator:  Srinand Sreevatsan, DVM, MPH, Ph.D.
Funding Agency: United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)

Studies on the modulation of intestinal microbial community structure and food-borne pathogen carriage by Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis infection in cattle.

Animal Protection

Principal Investigator:  Srinand Sreevatsan, DVM, MPH, Ph.D.
Funding Agency: USDA-NRI

Studies on Genotype-specific host pathogen interactions in Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis.

Conformation based fingerprinting of prions

Principal Investigator:  Srinand Sreevatsan, DVM, MPH, Ph.D.
Funding Agency: USDA-NRICGP

Conformation based fingerprinting of prions

Food Biosecurity: Threat prevention, threat response, risk management 
and communication, and public education.

Principal Investigator:  Craig Hedberg, Ph.D., Jeff Bender, DVM, MS, DACVPM
Funding Agency: United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)

Collaboration between the Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO), the National Center for Food Protection and Defense (NCFPD) and the Center for Animal Health and Food Safety Systems addressing several areas of biosecurity.

Food-borne pathogen detection in complex matrices

Principal Investigator:  Srinand Sreevatsan, DVM, MPH, Ph.D.
Funding Agency: AHC Seed Grants Program, University of Minnesota

Application of aptamer coated magnetic nanosensors to food-borne pathogen detection in complex matrices

International Cooperative Zoonotic Influenza Research Center (ICZIRC)

Principal Investigator:  Jeff B. Bender, DVM, MS DACVPM
Funding Agency: Center for Disease Control and Prevention

Researchers from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Thailand and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have established the International Cooperative Zoonotic Influenza Research Center (ICZIRC). The Center’s research partners hope to learn more about what facilitates and prevents flu transmission from animals to humans.  They are also working with backyard flock owners and pig farmers throughout the Midwest and in Thailand to better understand how the use of personal protective equipment (i.e., masks, gloves, etc.) and other hygienic practices might prevent the transmission of flu viruses from animals to humans.

Research partners include:

• Suphanburi Province, Thailand
  Animal and human sampling among villages previous infected with H5N1 viruses
  Chulalongkorn University
  Principal Investigator: Chitr Sitthi-amorn, MD, PhD
  
  
• Minnesota
  Recreational Rowers and Geese Feeders on Silver Lake near Rochester, Minnesota
  Mayo Clinic
  Principal Investigator: Gregory A. Poland, MD
  
  Minnesota Statewide Backyard Flock Owners
  Minnesota Department of Health
  Principal Investigator: Joni Scheftel, DVM, MPH, DACVPM
  
  Midwest Swine Farms including Pigs and Farm Workers
  University of Minnesota
  Principal Investigator: Peter Davies, BVSc, PhD                        

• Wisconsin
  Backyard Flocks in central Wisconsin
  Marshfield Clinic Research Foundation
  Principal Investigator: Edward Belongia, MD

• Study of Personal Protective Equipment
  Incorporated across all research project sites
  University of Minnesota
  Principal Investigators: Peter Raynor, PhD
                                    John Shutske, PhD

• Other partners include:
  Minnesota Board of Animal Health
  Minnesota Department of Agriculture
  Minnesota Poultry Testing Lab
  Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Lab

Minnesota Johne's Project

Principal Investigator: Scott Wells, DVM, PhD
Funding Agency: United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Johne's Disease Integrated Program (JDIP)

A six year research project to reduce Johnes in diary and cattle herds.

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID) Center of Excellence for Influenza Research and Surveillance

Principal Investigator: Michael Osterholm, Ph.D., MPH
Funding Agency: National Institutes of Health (NIH)

The Minnesota NIH/NIAID Center of Excellence for Influenza Research and Surveillance (MCEIRS) will receive funding over seven years to focus on disease and virologic surveillance of avian influenza viruses, providing the federal government with useful information and public health strategies for controlling the impact of an influenza pandemic.

New Century Challenges: Navigating the emerging microbial storm fronts – The intersection of animal and public health

Principal Investigator: Kevin Walker, PhD, (Michigan State University)
Co-Investigator: Lonnie King, DVM, MS, MPA (Centers for Disease Control)
Co-Investigator: William Hueston, DVM, PhD.
Funding Agency: Kellogg Foundation

Supports the identification of forces that drive the emergence of new diseases and the worldwide implications.

Wisconsin Johne’s Disease Demonstration Herd Project

Principal Investigator:  Scott Wells, DVM, Ph.D.
Funding Agency: United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Johnes Disease Integrated Program (JDIP)

One year data gathering portion of a six year research project to reduce Johnes in dairy/cattle herds

Partnerships

Public Health Task Force Initiative

Partner(s): AAVMC

Preparation of a summary article on the proceedings of the  AAVMC Public Health Task Force Stakeholder Meeting 

AAVMC/CDC Liaison

Partner(s): AAVMC and CDC

Collaborative effort between CAHFS, AAVMC, and CDC to foster relationships between CVM students & faculty and CDC scientists

Egg Industry Risk Assessments

Partner(s): American Egg Board

Develop three risk assessments for the egg industry on liquid pasteurized eggs, liquid unpasteurized eggs, and shell eggs

Animal Health Emergency Response

Partner(s): USDA-APHIS

Facilitate public-private-academic partnerships to support national preparedness for animal health emergencies

Bovine Tb – Minnesota  surveillance

Partner(s): Rapid Ag Response

CWD & Tb surveillance

Partner(s): DNR

Support TB & CWD surveillance efforts during deer hunting season by collecting test samples from harvested deer

Emergency Preparedness

Partner(s): FAO and  NCFPD

Advise FAO on the establishment and operation of an Emergency Preparedness and Response System in the area of food safety

Federal Food Safety Research Database

Partner(s): NCFPD

Design and populate  a database of food safety research being done in the United States

G8 Food Safety Test Exercise

Partner(s): NCFPD

Coordinate a test exercise for G8 nations with input from FDA, USDA, & FBI

Healthy Foods, Healthy Lives Initiative

Nexus of Animal and Human Health

Partner(s): Kellogg Foundation

Supports the identification of forces that drive the emergence of new diseases at the interface of animal and human health and the worldwide implications   

Meat Inspector Training

Partner(s): MDA

Provide training to State meat inspectors on slaughter inspection and food safety

Beef Quality Assurance

Partner(s): MBC

Design and deliver veterinarian,  student and producer educational materials on drug residue issues

National Veterinary Stockpile Capacity

Partner(s): USDA-APHIS

Provide a cost benefit analysis on disease spread modeling to determine NVS emergency response resources

Petting Zoos & infectious disease

Partner(s): CDC

Evaluate infectious disease control practices at petting zoos, fairs, orchards

Police Dog Survey

Survey of police dog owners on how  well dogs hold-up to rigors of the job

Poultry Euthanasia & Disposal Project

Partner(s): MDA

Research poultry euthanasia options, summarize and write education materials for producers

Risk Communication Coordination

Partner(s): MinnesotaState Agencies

Statewide Risk Communication Networking breakfasts

State Guidance Project

Partner(s): NCFPD

Establish new state guidelines for DHS funding to agriculture industry

Team “D”

Partner(s): Minnesota Department of Health

Investigate diarrhea outbreaks through phone surveys

VMC Infection Control

Partner(s): Veterinary Population Medicine, University of Minnesota

Provide over sight of daily VMC infection control issues, follow up on issues, and provide infection control training