Project Grant 20226701636978

** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** RAPID IDENTIFICATION OF LIVESTOCK DISEASE IS NOT ONLY CRITICAL TO MAINTAINING HEALTHY ANIMAL PRODUCTION SYSTEMS BUT ALSO IMPORTANT TO PREVENT UNDETECTED PATHOGEN DISSEMINATION. MANY TRANSBOUNDARY, EMERGING, AND ENDEMIC LIVESTOCK DISEASES AFFECT THE RESPIRATORY SYSTEM. RESPIRATORY DISEASE DIAGNOSIS IN LIVESTOCK IS TYPICALLY MADE BY VISUAL CLINICAL DIAGNOSIS, WHICH LACKS SPECIFICITY AND SENSITIVITY. INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO ACCURATE DIAGNOSIS ARE NEEDED TO IMPROVE DISEASE IDENTIFICATION AND LIMIT INDISCRIMINATE USE OF ANTIMICROBIALS, ULTIMATELY LOWERING COSTS TO PRODUCERS. WE PROPOSE TO USE THE NON-INVASIVE SPECTROSCOPIC METHOD OF NEAR INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY (NIRS) TO DIAGNOSE RESPIRATORY DISEASE WITH HIGHER ACCURACY, SENSITIVITY, AND SPECIFICITY THAN TRADITIONAL DIAGNOSTICS. WE WILL CHARACTERIZE THE SPECTRAL AND BIOCHEMICAL PROFILE IN BIOFLUIDS OF ANIMALS EXPOSED TO VIRAL AND BACTERIAL RESPIRATORY PATHOGENS. THE NIRS SPECTRUM IN ORAL AND NASAL FLUIDS, BLOOD AND BREATH CONDENSATE WILL BECOMBINED WITH CLINICAL DATA AND MARKERS OF LUNG INFLAMMATION. THIS INFORMATION WILL TRANSLATE INTO A MODEL TO PREDICT SUB-CLINICAL RESPIRATORY DISEASE, THAT IS TO DIFFERENTIATE ANIMALS UNDERGOING RESPIRATORY INFLAMMATION FROM HEALTHY ONES. THIS RESEARCH WILL SUPPORT FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF A PORTABLE, RAPID AND NON-INVASIVE RESPIRATORY DIAGNOSTIC TOOL, WHICH CONSTITUTES AN ATTRACTIVE ALTERNATIVE TO CURRENT METHODS. IMPORTANTLY, THIS TECHNOLOGY HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE FURTHER DEVELOPED FOR THE DETECTION OF OTHER INFECTIOUS DISEASE THREATS. THIS IS A STRENGTHENING STANDARD RESEARCH GRANT FOR THE ANIMAL HEALTH & DISEASE PROGRAM, PRIORITY AREA A1181.