Scientists at the University of Minnesota have received a $100,000 grant to study turkey arthritis reovirus (TARV). The research team will track how the costly viral turkey disease is transmitted and when a preventive vaccine will be most effective.
TARV causes lameness, swelling and increased fluid in the leg joints of turkeys. The virus has been reported in every turkey producing state located in the U.S., infecting up to 70% of turkey flocks in the country.
Autogenous vaccines are used to treat the infection but have limited effectiveness as the virus evolves. In addition, little is currently known about how the disease is transmitted between birds.
The disease can be costly to producers, leading to increased culling and mortality, increased condemnation rates, low rates of weight gain and poor feed efficiency. The National Turkey Federation has named TARV as one of the poultry industry’s key research needs.
The research team plans to study five groups of TARV-infected turkeys to determine at what age the animals are most susceptible to the infection. They hope to discover vaccination and husbandry best practices to prevent TARV’s spread.
“Turkey welfare and producers’ bottom lines are negatively affected by TARV,” said Sally Rockey, the Executive Director of nonprofit organization Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research. “This research will inform the next generation of TARV mitigation techniques, improve animal welfare and protect a Thanksgiving staple.”
FFAR, the Minnesota Turkey Research and Promotion Council and the University of Minnesota partnered for the Rapid Outcomes from Agricultural Research (ROAR) grant. These grants support research and outreach in response to emerging threats against food supply or agricultural systems.
More than 5.9 billion pounds of turkey will be produced in the United States this year.
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