UC agriculture and natural resources oversees UC's agricultural experiment station's animal health and disease research program

The Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded $202,755 to The Regents of the University of California (doing business as University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources) on October 1, 2025, under the Animal Health and Disease Research program (CFDA 10.207), a formula grant.

UC ANR's Agricultural Experiment Station conducts animal health and disease research aligned with NIFA's guidance to improve the health and productivity of food animals through effective prevention, control, or treatment of disease and protection of human health through control of animal diseases transmissible to people. Research projects focus on animal health and diseases, including approaches to improve animal management systems and animal welfare. Research expertise spans animal science, population health and reproduction, ecosystem sciences, entomology, and medicine and epidemiology. Target audiences include California farmers, ranchers, and allied industry professionals involved in dairy and beef cattle, poultry, goats, sheep, and fish production, as well as extension professionals, academic experts, government agencies, and nonprofits serving the agricultural sector. Current research includes studies on infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis (IBK or pinkeye), the most common eye disease of beef and dairy cattle, which can lead to permanent visual impairment or blindness.

Period of performance runs through September 30, 2027, with place of performance at Oakland, California. The Animal Health and Disease Research program funds animal health and disease research activities including research expenses, publishing and disseminating results, administrative planning and direction, and purchase of equipment and supplies necessary for conducting such research.

The research projects approved for this capacity program align with nifa's guidance to 'improve the health and productivity of food animals and horses through effective prevention, control or treatment of disease, reduction of losses from transportation and other hazards, and protection of human health through control of animal diseases transmissible to people. ' the projects focus on animal health and diseases and can include how to improve animal management systems and animal welfare. The researchers bring expertise in animal science, population health and reproduction, ecosystem sciences, entomology, and medicine and epidemiology. The target audiences are california farmers, ranchers, and other allied industry professionals involved in animal production systems, stewarding the health and welfare of dairy and beef cattle, poultry, goats, sheep, and fish. These projects also aim to share new knowledge and tools with extension professionals and other academic experts, and other stakeholders, such as government agencies and non-profits, that serve this agricultural sector. Research projects focused on cattle, sheep, poultry, and fish ultimately aim to improve animal management, including animal welfare, profitability, and sustainability. Some examples of current research funded by nifa's animal health and disease research program are briefly described below. One study focuses on infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis (IBK) pinkey E which is the most common eye disease of beef and dairy cattle. This disease is characterized by a painful corneal ulcer that can lead to permanent visual impairment or blindness due to eyeball rupture in the most severe cases. Existing vaccines are not uniformly effective, and pinkeye remains a major concern for cattle producers and veterinarians in california and throughout the USA. Along with pinkeye treatment costs and reduced weight gains in pinkeye-affected cattle, animal welfare implications of pinkeye further justify efforts to develop more effective vaccines to prevent this disease. Another project investigates the effectiveness of zinc and biochar or their combinations on calf health, growth and immunity. Enhancing the average daily weight gain and overall health of calves during the pre-weaning phase can positively impact their future productive life. Livestock farmers increasingly use biochar as a regular feed supplement to improve animal health, and to increase nutrient intake efficiency and thus enhancing productivity. Waste milk (WM) is milk that cannot be sold for human consumption, including due to the presence of drug residues from cows that have been recently treated with antibiotics. A potentially hazardous WM into a safe product for consumption while addressing growing concerns with antimicrobial resistance in livestock. Commonly spread to pathogenic bacteria via horizontal gene transfer in situ. Research is characterizing the population genomics and spaciotemporal trends of AMR in enterococcus isolated from retail beef and determine any relationships between AMR and production, e.g. organic versus conventional, and antimicrobial use practices. The outcomes of the project will advance knowledge of AMR in beef for better management practices to limit spread of AMR. The long-term goal of the project is to reduce the magnitude of AMR in beef products through a better understanding of the genomic variation, resistance genes, and virulence genes of enterococcus SPP. Isolated from retail beef.