The Iowa Livestock Health Advisory Council (ILHAC) was created in 1977 to strengthen Iowa's animal-agriculture industry as a cooperative effort between Iowa livestock industry stakeholders, the State of Iowa and the ISU CVM. ILHAC is funded through Education Appropriations.
Next Meeting: February, 2025
Impact of ILHAC Funding
The ILHAC line-item funding in Education Appropriations increased in FY24 to $291,390. ILHAC-funded research grants provide seed money to advance the health, well-being and profitability of Iowa's $32.6 billion-dollar livestock production industry. Research priorities are set by producers each year based on current challenges. Modest increases in this line-item funding can lead to high-impact outcomes in animal health and welfare, food safety, and trade and economic viability.
The Multiplier Effect
Examples include:
- Improving the safety of meat, poultry, and milk
- Developing vaccines and diagnostics for Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea (PED), Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS), and swine influenza
- Developing tools to measure welfare and mitigate pain in food animals
- Understanding the mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance, improving diagnosis, and developing new alternatives