1. Collaboration forged to advance RNA-based livestock vaccines
Teams will work to identify lead candidates for further development to combat diseases in cattle, swine and sheep.
The Pirbright Institute
Feedstuffs
April 10, 2026
A collaboration to accelerate the development of next-generation RNA vaccines targeting high-impact livestock diseases has been forged between the Centre for Veterinary Vaccine Innovation & Manufacturing (CVIM) and biopharmaceutical company Tiba Biotech.
Supported by funding from the Gates Foundation, the U.K. Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and the Biotechnology & Biological Sciences Research Council, the collaboration is part of a broader effort to strengthen global vaccine innovation capacity, leveraging leading research at The Pirbright Institute alongside advanced manufacturing infrastructure at CVIM, based on the Pirbright site.
The joint project will initially focus on molecular characterization of an RNA-based vaccine candidate for foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) virus developed using Tiba's proprietary RNABL™ delivery platform. This vaccine was previously shown to confer complete protection against challenge infection in cattle. In parallel, the collaboration will explore the application of Tiba's RNABL platform against other livestock vaccine targets.
2. Shedding light on egg drop syndrome
New research uncovers insights into virus transmission and vaccination response in poultry flocks.
USPOULTRYU.S. Poultry & Egg Association
Feedstuffs
April 9, 2026
Egg drop syndrome 1976 (EDS 76) is caused by a virus called duck Atadenovirus A. It was once considered exotic to the U.S. But since 2018, it has been found in commercial layer and broiler breeder flocks, causing noticeable production losses. Birds affected by EDS 76 appear healthy but lay fewer eggs, and the eggs that are produced are often soft-shelled or shell-less.
Diagnosing EDS 76 in the U.S. is challenging. Serology via hemagglutination inhibition and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay is primarily used for confirmation in unvaccinated birds, while polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and real-time PCR (qPCR) are used for detecting viral DNA in suspect cases.
Assessing the presence of viable virus via virus isolation is challenging due to reliance on duck embryo fibroblast cells (DEF) and limited availability of specific pathogen free duck eggs. EDS-76 qPCR cannot determine viral viability or assess the effectiveness of cleaning and disinfection. Furthermore, the role of mechanical vectors in EDS 76 transmission remains poorly defined.
Full text: https://www.feedstuffs.com/poultry/shedding-light-on-egg-drop-syndrome
3. Deer Test Positive For Chronic Wasting Disease At Catoctin Mountain Park [MD]
By NPT Staff
National Parks Traveler
April 9, 2026
Two deer tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease at Catoctin Mountain Park in Maryland during recent white-tailed deer reduction operations and subsequent disease sampling. This is the first CWD-positive detection at Catoctin Mountain Park.
In 2024, three nearby national parks - Antietam and Monocacy National Battlefields and Harpers Ferry National Historical Park - received their first CWD-positive test results, followed by Gettysburg National Military Park in 2026.
Nebraska Horse Reportedly Positive for EHV-4 and Equine Influenza
EDCC Health Watch
EquiManagement.com
April 10. 2026
According to the attending veterinarian, one horse in Washington County, Nebraska, has tested positive for equine herpesvirus-4 (EHV-4, the respiratory form of the disease) and equine influenza. Ten horses have been exposed.
Two California Horses Test Positive for EIA
EDCC Health Watch
TheHorse.com
April 10, 2026
In San Joaquin County, a 3-year-old Quarter Horse gelding tested positive on April 9. Epidemiological tracing determined that this horse had recently trained at the premises in Stanislaus County where there are other confirmed EIA cases. The gelding has been quarantined at his home premises; there are no additional exposed horses on the property.
In Fresno County, a 4-year-old Appendix Quarter Horse gelding tested positive after training at the affected premises in Stanislaus County. He was euthanized on March 27 due to worsening clinical signs. Three potentially exposed horses at the premises have initially tested negative for EIA and will remain under quarantine until their 60-day retest.
Full text: https://thehorse.com/1143680/2-california-horses-test-positive-for-eia-2/
5. Vampire bats in Mexico may feed on CWD-positive deer, spreading disease and posing species-jump threat
By Mary Van Beusekom, MS
CIDRAP News
April 9, 2026
During a 2022 field expedition, Peter Larsen, PhD, was asleep in an open-air house in Guyana when he was awakened by the sensation of liquid on his feet, which were pressed against his mosquito net-except it wasn't raining. He flicked on his headlamp, startled to find that the liquid was blood, and a vampire bat-a species he had gone there to study-was feeding on him.
That experience, along with his work with vampire bats in several Central and South American countries, prompted Larsen to ponder the pathogens the bats might carry. Specifically, as co-director of the Minnesota Center for Prion Research and Outreach (MNPRO), he wondered about vampire bats' potential role in spreading the prions (infectious misfolded proteins) that cause chronic wasting disease (CWD) in cervids such as deer, elk, and moose.
The fatal disease has been spreading in North America for decades and has now been found as far south as New Mexico and Texas, with a prevalence as high as 11% in mule deer in one area. At the same time, climate change is driving vampire bats northward, and they are predicted to arrive in Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas in the next 10 to 50 years.
Common vampire bats (Desmodus rotundus) in northern Mexico, Larsen thought, may already be feeding on CWD-positive cervids there, further transmitting the prions. "If I had to guess, I would say it's 70% possible that there are already vampire bats feeding on [CWD-] positive animals in Mexico," he said.
6. Import Regulations for Horses; Pre-Export Examination
Federal Register Volume 91, Number 69 (Friday, April 10, 2026)
Rules and Regulations
Pages 18277-18279
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
FR Doc No: 2026-06955
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
9 CFR Part 93
Docket No. APHIS-2025-0018
RIN 0579-AE88
Import Regulations for Horses; Pre-Export Examination
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Final rule.
SUMMARY: We are removing the requirement that horses offered for importation to the United States be accompanied by documentation of
pre-export examination occurring within 48 hours of departure from the port of embarkation endorsed by a salaried veterinary medical officer.
We have found that logistical barriers prevent affected parties from meeting this requirement at this time. This action removes the
requirement, while keeping in place other requirements of the regulations.
DATES: Effective May 11, 2026.
Full text: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-04-10/html/2026-06955.htm