Disease-associatedstreptococcus suisis a costly disease in swine production caused by thes

Texas Tech University received a $650,000 project grant from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) program (CFDA 10.310), effective September 15, 2025 through September 14, 2028. The project addresses disease control challenges associated with Streptococcus suis in swine production by investigating the relationship between nasopharyngeal microbiome composition and disease outcomes. Deliverables include comprehensive microbiome sequencing analysis, advanced molecular enrichment metagenomics, whole-genome sequencing of multiple cultured isolates from nasopharyngeal samples, and multivariable modeling and network analysis to identify comprehensive disease risk factors. The research outputs will provide evidence-based insights into disease causation mechanisms and risk factors to support improved farm-level disease control strategies and enhanced pig health and productivity.

The University of Minnesota participates as a sub-awardee (awarded November 13, 2025), providing molecular laboratory work and computational analysis services focused on Streptococcus suis detection and results interpretation. Collectively, these research activities generate scientific knowledge and data on pathogen-microbiome interactions that will inform veterinary disease management practices in commercial swine production systems.

Suisbacterium. Swine producers face major challenges in controllings. Suisdue to its endemic nature, the lack of effective vaccines, the presence of commensals. Suisstrains, and potential antimicrobial resistance. Veterinarians do not fully understand why some pigs develop disease while their littermates remain healthy carriers. One hypothesis is that respiratory microbes (i.e., the microbiome) interact with different CO-circulatings. Suisstrains in a temporally dynamic manner that influences disease risk. However, there is limited knowledge about the interactions between disease-causing strains OFS. Suisand the microbiome. This project will address this knowledge GAP by investigating the association between the nasopharyngeal microbiome and disease, detecting CO-circulatings. Suisstrains, and identifying antimicrobial resistance and virulence-associated genes and their relationship to disease outcomes. Microbiome sequencing, advanced molecular enrichment metagenomics, and whole-genome sequencing of multiple cultured isolates from nasopharyngeal samples will be performed. These data, along with farm management factors, will be used in multivariable modeling and network analysis to determine comprehensive risk factors for disease. The results will provide new insights into the causes OFS. Suis disease, ultimately supporting improved disease control on farms, enhancing PIG health and productivity.