SDSU researchers develop vaccine for destructive poultry virus
Minnesota alone lost 2.2 million turkeys to the virus in 2024
11 June 2026
1 minute read
By: Researchers at South Dakota State University's Animal Disease Research and Diagnostic Laboratory have developed both live and killed vaccine candidates for avian metapneumovirus (aMPV) subtype B, a respiratory virus that has severely hampered US poultry production, the university announced.
The team, led by assistant professors Sunil Mor and Tamer Sharafeldin, was the first to identify a fast-spreading respiratory viral outbreak affecting turkeys and chickens in major US poultry-producing regions in early 2024. While limited outbreaks of aMPV subtype C had occurred previously, it was the first time subtypes A and B — the two most pathogenic strains — had been identified in the US.
"Emerging subtypes A and B are causing huge economic losses to the poultry industry," said Mor. "We are expediting our efforts to provide the first vaccine based on a US field strain that will provide better protection to birds hence will be helpful in sustainability of US poultry production."
The team developed three live vaccine candidates representing low-, medium- and high-passage attenuation, tested in chickens to evaluate safety and efficacy. The medium-passage candidate demonstrated the best protection, including complete viral clearance. Both live and killed vaccines also demonstrated significant safety and efficacy in commercial turkeys. Future experimental tests and field trials will confirm efficacy on subtype A.
"Developing vaccines is not going to be the only objective," said Sharafeldin. "Continued monitoring of new variants due to vaccine pressure will ensure the preparedness for any future outbreak due to emerging variants."
The research, funded by the US Poultry and Egg Association and USPoultry Foundation, will now move to preclinical evaluation and field testing. In Minnesota alone, producers lost an estimated 2.2 million turkeys to aMPV in 2024, amounting to around $112 million in economic damages, according to the Minnesota Turkey Growers Association.
