Animal health

Kansas has emerged as a powerhouse in animal sciences. Our universities offer expertise in livestock medicine and zoonotic and infectious diseases, creating a dynamic mix of academic and private-sector expertise and resources — and a highly trained work force of 13,000 animal health specialists in the region.

Industrial strength has a home here too. Animal health assets in the geographic region extending between Manhattan, Kan., and Columbia, Mo., include more than 100 companies in the animal health and nutrition industry, with four of the top 10 animal health companies in the world and three of the largest distributors headquartered in the Kansas City region. The animal health cluster in the area accounts for 32 percent of a $15.2 billion global animal health market.

To build on its leadership in this sector, Kansas is focusing on animal research and commercialization to help bridge the commercialization strengths of Kansas’ animal health industry with the basic research power of the state’s world-class universities and research institutes. The state is emerging as a regional and national focal point for stimulating innovative research in animal health, identifying the business potential of that research, and finding commercialization partners as well as the human and financial capital needed to realize that business potential.

Central research focus areas in Kansas are production animal health, companion animal health, new and re-emerging diseases, animal nutrition, and food safety and security. Five product development areas of focus are vaccines and biologicals, diagnostics, pharmaceuticals, animal nutrition, and surveillance and detection.

Animal science, with a special focus on animal health, has statewide economic relevance. The rural economy of western Kansas is fueled by the food animal industry, while the urban Kansas landscape is heavily invested in the animal health economic sector. There are public health implications in the context of companion animal health and wellbeing.

The local animal health sector offers:

• The best and the brightest animal health researchers and specialists;
• A legislative environment that encourages and rewards investments in animal health;
• Public-private partnerships around animal health and translational medicine; and
• A reputation for discovering, developing, and commercializing new products.

Examples of success in Kansas

• In recognition of its animal health expertise, the state has been selected as one of six finalists for the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility, a $451 million federal research laboratory to protect the American food supply and agriculture economy.
• Fort Dodge Animal Health, a global manufacturer of animal health products, is significantly expanding its R&D operations in Kansas with a $40 million facility to be staffed by more than 200 employees.
• Ireland-based IdentiGEN has established its American headquarters in Kansas to develop and commercialize its DNA-based solutions for the agri-food industry. IdentiGEN enables meat producers to verify the quality of meat products and identify their precise origin.
• The $2.5 million Collaborative Biosecurity Research Initiative is building on the state’s existing strength in the animal-health sector by bringing together leading researchers nationwide to create products that prevent animal-borne diseases.
• The $1.5 million Biosecurity Research Institute Training and Education Program at Kansas State University is going national with specialized training programs to keep research laboratories safe and secure. The program will help meet the unprecedented demand for biosafety and biocontainment training that has emerged as bioscience research and industry have grown significantly in recent years.
• Eminent scholar Dr. Juergen Richt has been attracted to Kansas State University to conduct his animal health research in emerging viral diseases of swine and prion diseases. He brings world-class expertise in diagnostics and vaccinations to K-State’s Biosecurity Research Institute.