Meso-Scale Discovery Cattle Influenza Research Collaboration

UTMB will work with veterinary collaborators who support dairy farms to collect 40 sera specimens and 30 milk specimens from dairy cows experiencing a H5N1 epidemic. Specimens will be shipped to UTMB by overnight courier on dry ice or in cold packs. Sera and milk specimens will be screened for molecular evidence of influenza A (matrix gene). If influenza A is detected we will seek to determine the influenza A type and further characterize the virus. Sera will also be screened with microneutralization assays against cattle influenza H5N1 clade 2.3.4.2b for evidence of previous H5N1 infection. Specimens with likely HPAIV H5N1 exposure will be moved to our BSL3 enhanced laboratory. Sera or milk specimens with evidence of H5N1 will be inactivated with radiation such that they may be worked on in a BSL2 laboratory. Aliquots (1ml each) of radiation inactivated cattle sera (n=40) and milk (n=30) will be shipped from UTMB to Meso-Scale Diagnostics, LLC. (MSD) by overnight courier on dry ice or in cold packs. UTMB will also provide MSD with virological and any available clinical data regarding the cows