Source: USDA ARS, JAVMA News
The National Association of Federal Veterinarians is honoring a research microbiologist for his work to guard animals against foreign disease after winning the prestigious Daniel E. Salmon Award. Manuel Borca, the lead USDA scientist at the Foreign Animal Disease Unit at Plum Island Animal Disease Center in New York, was recognized for his critical contributions to protecting world animal health against infectious diseases. 

Borca, a veterinary microbiologist with USDA’s Agricultural Research Service is an international leader in veterinary virology in foreign animal infectious diseases. His research, particularly in African swine fever and classical swine fever, has influenced animal health researchers worldwide and made significant contributions towards developing veterinary medical countermeasures critical to controlling foreign animal diseases.

Over the past 20 years, Borca and his team have made significant progress in understanding the CSF virus genome to develop new vaccines, called DIVA—differentiating infected from vaccinated animals—a critical feature used during disease outbreak efforts. The team identified more than 80% of all viral genes involved in causing CSF disease. Borca’s team has used this information to produce and patent 10 attenuated CSF virus strains that are potential vaccine candidates.

Borca has also made critical contributions to developing ASF vaccines. Borca has developed three ASF vaccine candidates, using technology he and PIADC fellow scientists developed earlier that allows them to genetically modify ASF viruses. These vaccine candidates, along with one developed by colleagues in Barcelona, Spain, are the only reported experimental vaccine strains that have been shown to prevent disease caused by the strain now circulating in Europe and Asia. 

Established in 1986, the Daniel E. Salmon Award honors the first director of the USDA’s Bureau of Animal Industry. The award is presented annually to a veterinarian in recognition of outstanding contributions and notable service in the public’s interest. A veterinary surgeon, Salmon earned the first DVM degree awarded in the United States and spent his career studying animal diseases. He gave his name to the bacterial genus Salmonella, which was discovered by an assistant and named in Salmon’s honor.