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Grant awarded: Tu-Anh Huynh receives USDA-NIFA funding for studying Listeria infections in bovines

Tu-Anh Huynh, assistant professor in the Department of Food Science, received $300,000 for her project “The pathogenesis of Listeria monocytogenes in the bovine gastrointestinal tract” through NIFA’s Diseases of Agricultural Animals (A1221) initiative. It was among 38 projects sharing $19.5 million in funding.

Project summary (from CRIS website): Listeria monocytogenes (Listeria) is an invasive pathogen in both humans and dairy cattle. Although acquired orally through contaminated food or feed, Listeria can breach the gut barrier to infect multiple organs. Therefore, Listeria infection can cause abortion and has high mortality rates. The gut phase of Listeria infection precedes systemic spread to other organs, and is a determinant of infection outcomes. Interestingly, many adult cattle also carry Listeria without clinical symptoms, indicating a balanced state between Listeria and the infected cattle. Thus, it is critical to understand how Listeria colonizes cattle gut to prevent the progression to clinical infection, and to reduce shedding by asymptomatic animals. However, such knowledge is currently extremely limited, and further hampered by the lack of a suitable bovine infection model. Here, we will perform experimental infection studies in calves to investigate Listeria replication and dissemination in the bovine gut, and identify bovine immune responses to infection. Our findings will provide an essential framework for mechanistic studies of Listeria infection in the bovine host. Results will also facilitate predictive studies of listeriosis outcomes and intervention strategies that minimize lethal systemic infection, reduce antibiotic use, and promote animal resistance to infectious diseases. Overall, this project will serve to promote animal health and reduce economic loss for dairy farmers.