Capacity grant for FY26 university of pennsylvania school of veterinary medicine capacity grant for FY26 university of pennsylvania school of veterinary medicine ueid # GM1ZZ56LEP58 abstract the…

Capacity grant for FY26 university of pennsylvania school of veterinary medicine capacity grant for FY26 university of pennsylvania school of veterinary medicine ueid # GM1ZZ56LEP58 abstract the proposed studies will evaluate several areas vital to the understanding of health, disease and treatment in agriculturally-important animals. We propose two studies for the funding requested. The first study involves new research infrastructure in our research dairy that will allow additional individual and group animal confinement conducive for future projects which will investigate various diagnostic, therapeutic, and management strategies for non-infectious diseases in dairy cattle. Anticipated outcomes are continued expansion of our departmental faculty research efforts that will mitigate risk and safety to our food supply through our institution's teaching, clinical service, outreach and scholarly efforts. The goal of our second study is to better understand the risks of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in a large animal veterinary hospital. For this study, we will collect samples from two key sources: the hospital environment and the staff who work there. Environmental samples will come from areas like animal stalls, treatment rooms, and commonly used equipment. Staff members will provide samples using simple kits, including nasal swabs and stool samples, which they can collect at their convenience. These samples will be tested in a laboratory to identify antibiotic-resistant bacteria and the specific genes that make bacteria resistant to antibiotics. We will also gather information about the hospital workers' roles and their levels of contact with animals to see if exposure to certain patients or procedures is linked to the presence of resistant bacteria. By combining this data, we will create a detailed picture of where resistant bacteria are found in the hospital and how they might spread. This information will help US understand the risks faced by hospitalized animals and identify opportunities to reduce exposure through better cleaning, antibiotic use, and infection control practices.