Investigating the Risk of Zoonotic Threats to U.S. Agriculture

Identify and characterize viral agents with the potential to threaten U.S. agricultural systems. As part of this effort, biological samples collected from USDA collaborative surveillance and research sites will be transferred to the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) for detailed virological analysis. Characterization of these agents will involve multiple approaches, including viral isolation in culture, in vitro studies to determine hostcell susceptibility, and in vivo studies to assess host range and virulence. Molecular investigations such as full-genome sequencing and host transcriptomic profiling will further clarify viral diversity and mechanisms of host interaction. These data are essential for risk assessments, countermeasure development, and preparedness planning, especially for novel orunderstudied pathogens with zoonotic potential.