Weekly Livestock-Equine News: May 18, 2026

Tufts receives USDA grant to study Streptococcus suis in pigs

Texas Tech University’s School of Veterinary Medicine received a $650,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture to support research led by Tara Gaire, assistant professor of epidemiology, on Streptococcus suis (S. suis), a common bacterium of the pig respiratory tract.The project will examine how pigs’ respiratory microbiomes interact with different strains of S. suis, potentially leading to earlier detection methods and more effective prevention strategies. By focusing on disease risk factors rather than reacting only after outbreaks occur, the research could help reduce antibiotic use and combat growing antimicrobial resistance in livestock production, according to Tufts.

Bimeda gains FDA approval for bioequivalent to GastroGard

Bimeda announced the U.S. launch of GASTROBIM (omeprazole), an FDA-approved bioequivalent to GastroGard (omeprazole) for the treatment and prevention of recurrence of gastric ulcers in horses and foals four weeks of age and older. Since its launch in 2024, GASTROBIM has gained acceptance in Canada and Europe, according to the company.

Bill aims to stop wildlife-to-livestock disease spread

Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin has unveiled the Wildlife Health Coordination and Zoonotic Disease Prevention Act, which aims to increase interagency coordination, facilitate information sharing, improve coordination between states and share best practices for managing wildlife and zoonotic disease outbreaks. Since March 2022, Wisconsin has lost 11.6 million birds across 50 commercial and backyard flocks due to outbreaks of avian influenza. Between late February and March of this year, Wisconsin experienced three major avian flu outbreaks in commercial poultry flocks, affecting more than 4.3 million egg-laying hens. As a result, two Wisconsin farms were forced to temporarily lay off more than 80 employees. Chronic Wasting Disease also remains an increasing concern in Wisconsin. Chronic Wasting Disease has been detected in both captive and wild animals in most Wisconsin counties since its original incursion, and, in 2025, it was detected in wild deer populations across 51 Wisconsin counties.

Intervacc makes executive changes to strengthen push into US market

Sweden-based Intervacc AB, developer of the equine vaccine Strangvac, announced it has recruited Lars Stubberud as chief technology officer. Astrid Larberg has been named program manager, with responsibility for developing Strangvac for the U.S. market. Registered in 16 European markets, Strangvac provides protection against Streptococcus equi, the bacterium causing strangles.

APHIS updates export guidance after pseudorabies finding

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service announced it won’t certify Iowa as Stage V for PRV (Aujeszky’s disease, or pseudorabies) — or certify that Iowa or the United States is free of PRV for export purposes — until all PRV-quarantined premises in Iowa are released. On April 30, 2026, APHIS confirmed pseudorabies in a commercial swine herd in Iowa, which had been sourced from a transitional herd in Texas. Because transitional herds do not impact a state’s PRV status, the guidance applies only to swine and swine product exports from Iowa.

HISA issues equine health advisory

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) released a new Equine Health Advisory on the risk of fatal injury in Covered Horses previously placed on the Veterinarians’ List as Unsound. The advisory recommends the use of wearable biometric sensors during training programs to provide insight into horses’ condition and performance. This is the fourth Equine Health Advisory that HISA has issued, following advisories on proximal forelimb fractures, exercise-associated sudden death and proximal hindlimb fractures.