UConn scientist secures $570,000 grant to develop faster bovine leptospirosis detection tools

A University of Connecticut researcher has obtained funding to create innovative diagnostic methods for bovine leptospirosis, aiming to improve early detection and reduce spread among cattle and humans.

A University of Connecticut veterinary scientist has secured a three-year, $570,000 grant from the U.S.-Israel Binational Agricultural Research and Development Fund to sharpen the way bovine leptospirosis is detected, according to Beef Magazine.

Elsio Wunder, an assistant professor at UConn, is leading the project with colleagues in Connecticut, Arizona and Israel. The work will focus on novel protein antigens that could underpin simpler, more accurate surveillance tools for a disease that is difficult to spot in cattle because infected animals often show few obvious signs.

Leptospirosis matters well beyond herd health. It can damage fertility and milk output, kill animals and spread through contaminated urine to people, domestic livestock and wildlife. Wunder said existing blood tests still rely on strain data dating back to the mid-20th century, even as the bacteria continue to evolve.

His broader research at UConn has already centred on Leptospira’s virulence and on vaccine design using proteins drawn from circulating strains. That same biological work is now being redirected towards diagnostics, with the aim of replacing strain-by-strain testing with a smaller set of broadly useful markers.

For producers, the practical promise is faster identification, earlier isolation and less environmental spread. For public health, it is a reminder that leptospirosis remains a live risk in the United States, not just a problem in poorer regions.