USPOULTRY and the USPOULTRY Foundation are accepting research preproposals addressing Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale from colleges, universities and research facilities through Nov. 1. Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale (ORT) causes a highly contagious respiratory disease in poultry and has been identified as a top disease of concern by industry veterinarians in the turkey industry since 2016.

Currently, there is no commercial vaccine approved for the industry to utilize, and options for preventing infection are limited to production practices such as biosecurity and water management. In addition, treatment options for ORT are limited. Because of the similarity of symptoms of ORT infections to other respiratory pathogens, infections may often be misdiagnosed. Therefore, a reliable and accurate diagnostic tool would benefit the poultry industry.

The goal of this initiative is to isolate appropriate strains through strain characterization to allow for vaccine development and to develop prevention practices and products that will reduce ORT infections. Research should also answer the question, “Can diagnostic methods be identified or further developed to more accurately identify flocks which have been infected with ORT?”

Visit the USPOULTRY website for complete instructions to submit a preproposal.