RECENT OUTBREAKS OF BIRD FLU (H5N1) IN U.S. CATTLE HAVE RAISED CONCERNS ABOUT HOW FLU VIRUSES SPREAD IN LIVESTOCK. HOWEVER, ANOTHER LESSER-KNOWN VIRUS, INFLUENZA D (IDV), IS ALREADY PRESENT IN CATTLE WORLDWIDE AND EVOLVING RAPIDLY. WHILE IDV WAS INITIALLY THOUGHT TO CAUSE ONLY MILD ILLNESS, NEWER STRAINS ARE NOW LEADING TO SERIOUS RESPIRATORY DISEASE IN CALVES. EVEN MORE CONCERNING, IDV CAN INFECT OTHER FARM ANIMALS AND EVEN HUMANS, POSING A BROADER RISK TO AGRICULTURE AND PUBLIC HEALTH.CURRENTLY, THERE ARE NO RELIABLE ANTIBODY DETECTION TESTS TO TRACK THE EXPOSURE OF CATTLE TO IDV AND NO VACCINES TO PROTECT CATTLE, LEAVING THE LIVESTOCK INDUSTRY VULNERABLE. WITHOUT ACTION, IDV COULD BECOME A SIGNIFICANT THREAT TO CATTLE HEALTH, FARMERS' LIVELIHOODS, AND THE STABILITY OF U.S. AGRICULTURE.TO ADDRESS THIS, EXPERTS, THE TEAM LED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH IN COLLABORATION WITH SCIENTISTS FROM SOUTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY ARE WORKING TOGETHER ON TWO CRITICAL SOLUTIONS. FIRST, WE ARE DEVELOPING NEW DIAGNOSTIC TESTS TO MONITOR IDV IN CATTLE AND OTHER LIVESTOCK. SECOND, WE ARE DEVELOPING AN INNOVATIVE NASAL SPRAY VACCINE TO PROTECT CATTLE FROM IDV AND PREVENT THE DISEASE FROM SPREADING.BY PROACTIVELY DEVELOPING BETTER MONITORING TOOLS AND A VACCINE, THIS RESEARCH WILL HELP SAFEGUARD CATTLE, SUPPORT US CATTLE INDUSTRY, AND STRENGTHEN THE SUSTAINABILITY AND PROFITABILITY OF THE U.S. LIVESTOCK INDUSTRY.