1. First Detection of Avian Influenza Antibodies in European Dairy Cattle
PoultryMed.com
January 24, 2026
Authorities in the Netherlands have confirmed the presence of avian influenza (H5N1) antibodies in a dairy cow in the municipality of Noardeast-Fryslân. This represents the first known instance of a dairy cow in Europe testing positive for antibodies to the virus, following widespread outbreaks in the United States throughout 2024 and 2025.
The investigation was triggered following a report to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) on December 24, 2025, regarding two sick cats. One of the cats tested positive for avian influenza and subsequently died. Contact tracing revealed that the deceased feline originated from a dairy farm, prompting a thorough screening of the resident livestock. Initial screenings conducted on January 15 revealed that while no active virus was detectable via PCR testing in the individual milk samples or the bulk tank, one cow tested positive for H5N1 antibodies. The presence of these antibodies indicates a past infection. Medical records for the cow showed it had suffered from respiratory issues and mastitis in December, symptoms consistent with avian influenza infection in cattle.
On January 22, the NVWA conducted follow-up testing on all cattle at the facility. Results released on January 23 confirm that there is currently no active viral circulation on the farm. All recent milk and blood samples tested negative for the active virus, though five samples are being re-tested due to laboratory errors. Dogs, horses, and other cats on the farm currently show no symptoms. The Municipal Health Service (GGD) is testing farm workers and the attending veterinarian as a precaution.
Source: https://www.poultrymed.com/Templates/showpage.asp?DBID=1&LNGID=1&TMID=178&FID=12100&PID=0&IID=96846
2. New S. suis vaccine targets multiple strains in pigs
TVG is already in talks with major animal health companies over commercial development of its BRSV vaccine candidates for use in cattle.
Industry Release
National Hog Farmer
January 26, 2026
A vaccine developed to tackle Streptococcus suis, an economically damaging disease endemic in the global pig population, has outperformed a leading commercially available vaccine in a challenge trial. The trial showed the vaccine candidate - developed by an international consortium including The Vaccine Group, the University of Plymouth and Moredun Scientific Limited - to be effective against a heterologous serotype of the disease.
The candidate vaccine was designed to incorporate antigens broadly present in most S. suis serotypes, with the specific intention of protecting pigs against multiple, if not all, known strains. This is a market gap with the currently available commercial vaccines, and at present there are no proven vaccines addressing the many strains of the disease, with infected pigs being treated using a number of different antibiotics.
3. Porcine sapovirus isolation opens doors for vaccines, new tools
Infected pigs, particularly weaning and post-weaning, can show mild to moderate diarrhea or remain clinically healthy while shedding the virus in feces.
Swine Health Information Center
National Hog Farmer
January 23, 2026
Porcine sapovirus is an emerging pathogen that causes diarrhea in suckling and weaned pigs. Accurate detection and isolation of circulating PoSaV strains is needed to characterize infection and develop preventative strategies. To help advance PoSaV research, the Swine Health Information Center funded a study conducted by Qiuhong Wang at The Ohio State University and Thomas Petznick at Veterinary Health Services, Omaha, Nebraska. Recently published findings in the journal Veterinary Microbiology detail the successful isolation of contemporary PoSaV field strains from U.S. swine herds, an essential milestone that could lead to more effective diagnostic tools and future vaccine development.
PoSaV is a very environmentally stable virus that can persist and spread within swine herds, making it a challenging issue especially in high-health production environments. This SHIC-funded study addresses gaps in PoSaV knowledge and has objectives to improve understanding of the virus, provide tools for diagnosis, and develop potential mitigation strategies, such as vaccines, for PoSaV infection control. Overall goals of advancing PoSaV knowledge are to reduce potential economic losses associated with post-weaning diarrhea, reduced weaning weight, and poor growth performance in U.S. swine.
4. Mitigating Disease Transmission Risk at the Wildlife-Livestock Interface to Facilitate Safe Trade
By Dr Christian Gortázar, Joaquin Vicente, Ursula Höfle
WOAH Publication
December 15, 2025
These guidelines are intended for Veterinary Services to facilitate safe trade. Effective implementation requires a background in veterinary sciences, particularly in the epidemiology of relevant infections. Knowledge of wildlife ecology is also an asset. Veterinary Services must have a thorough understanding of the target WLI scenario, different farming practices, and the key risk pathways for infection introduction and spread.
5. From Fragility To Foresight: Big Data Boosting Racehorse Safety
The Paulick Report
January 25, 2026
The regulatory veterinarian's morning revolves around soundness inspections-systematic assessments of gait, limb function, and overall condition that act as the first line of defense against catastrophic race-day injuries. Those visible checks are what horsemen see, but behind the scenes, a quieter process unfolds: data review and pre-inspection triage that often pinpoint concerns long before a stethoscope is lifted or a leg is palpated.
Under the rules of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA), regulatory veterinarians are also required to conduct "post-entry screening." This process occurs after a horse is entered to race but before race day, and involves a detailed review of each horse's veterinary treatment records and lifetime performance data. The goal is to help to enable early detection of subtle problems so officials can request more information, restrict a horse from competing, or recommend targeted interventions to protect both equine welfare and competitive integrity.
The amount of data now available to the regulatory veterinarian is immense, thanks to HISA's requirement that every veterinary treatment is submitted to HISA and the fact that those records are now available for every HISA-covered horse across state lines. Regulatory veterinarians could easily spend six to eight hours examining the details of a single race card, on top of the hours it takes a team of veterinarians to examine each horse in person.
6. Single-dose intranasal vaccine blocks coronavirus transmission in animal models
By The University of Hong Kong
Edited by Lisa Lock, reviewed by Robert Egan
Medical Xpress
January 26, 2026
A research team at the LKS Faculty of Medicine, the University of Hong Kong (HKUMed), has developed a novel live-attenuated vaccine candidate, cb1, capable of generating broad immunity against a wide range of beta-coronaviruses with a single intranasal dose. The vaccine not only prevents severe disease, but also effectively blocks viral transmission in animal models, offering a promising strategy for pandemic preparedness against future coronavirus threats. The study is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences*.
* See: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2518645123
The new vaccine is based on a rational attenuation strategy that alters the codon usage bias of the SARS-CoV-2 genome. This differs from the current COVID-19 vaccines, which target primarily the spike protein and often require frequent updates to keep up with rapidly evolving variants. This approach preserves the complete viral protein sequence while reducing virulence, enabling safe administration while exposing the immune system to a full spectrum of coronavirus antigens.
Full text: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-dose-intranasal-vaccine-blocks-coronavirus.html