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Launch of the European CATTLE AIV project on understanding the transmission and tropism of avian influenza virus in cattle and pigs
The European CATTLE-AIV project (2026–2028), funded by the European Partnership for Animal Health and Welfare (EUPAHW), aims to study the tropism and replication of highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (HPAIV) in bovine and porcine species. Coordinated by the University of Copenhagen, it brings together four European partners, including INRAE.
Published on 12 March 2026
H5 HPAIV viruses are panzootic, affecting many regions worldwide and an increasing number of infected hosts. They cause massive mortality in birds and significant economic losses, while raising concerns about their transmission to mammals, particularly cattle and potentially humans. The list of infected mammals continues to grow, and cases of mammal‑to‑mammal transmission are suspected. Recent infections in dairy cows in the United States reveal the emergence of new reservoirs in livestock.
The project brings together Professor Lars Erik Larsen from the University of Copenhagen, Professor Martin Schwemmle from the University of Freiburg, Ian Brown at Pirbright, and INRAE for France, with members from three units: Dr Delphine Payros and Professor Gilles Foucras (UMR IHAP, Toulouse), Dr Laurence Finot (UMR PEGASE, Rennes), and Dr Bertrand Pain (UMR SBRI, Lyon).
The project is structured around three complementary components: the viral genetics and molecular characterization of H5 HPAIV, the study of viral replication in mammary cells of cows and sows, and immunity provided by vaccination in cattle through the evaluation of several vaccines.
The contributions of the three INRAE units will enable the characterization of mammary organoids obtained from adult stem cells or derived from pluripotent stem cells. Infections with different HPAIV variants will be carried out on the two target species—cattle and pigs—to determine their susceptibility to viral replication. Analyses of the host response will be performed at the transcriptomic level or through cytokine expression.
This European project falls within the framework of an INRAE partnership between the Animal Physiology and Livestock Systems (PHASE) and Animal Health (SA) research divisions, in which the combined expertise of the three teams will be leveraged to develop and use 3D models as an alternative to animal experimentation and to study host–pathogen interactions in the mammary gland.
The research programme will be strengthened by the upcoming recruitment of a PhD student, made possible through co‑funding from INRAE and EUPAW&H and with support from the PHASE and SA divisions.