South Dakota
South Dakota State University researchers lead the charge against new turkey virus threat
BROOKINGS, S.D. — South Dakota State University’s Animal Disease Research and Diagnostic Laboratory is taking a leading role in combating a new strain of avian metapneumovirus, a virus that is causing significant economic loss to the United States poultry industry.
Avian metapneumovirus, or aMPV, is an upper respiratory tract viral infection that affects all types of poultry but is most harmful to turkeys. The virus is divided into four different subgroups: A, B, C or D. While each subgroup can be found in different parts of the world, the U.S. has previously only experienced outbreaks of subgroup C.
In January 2024, SDSU researchers became the first in the U.S. to identify the first known case of aMPV subgroup B after testing a sample from an outbreak in a North Carolina turkey flock. Since then, the virus has continued to spread throughout the United States, wreaking havoc for poultry breeders across the country.
Kennedy Tesch / Agweek
“A and B, were worldwide in Europe, South America and Asia, but never detected in the U.S.,” said Sunil Mor, assistant professor in the Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences at South Dakota State University and section lead for virology at SDSU’s Animal Disease Research and Diagnostic Laboratory. “First time introduction of the subgroups A and B in the U.S., it’s a huge economic impact, especially on the turkey industry. The breeders are seeing up to 80% to 90% reduction in egg production.”
In Minnesota, which is home to a major portion of U.S. turkey production, the virus has made a significant impact. Ashley Kohls, executive director of the Minnesota Turkey Growers Association, said the Association started conducting surveillance on the virus last spring. From April to June, they found that nearly 100% of the turkey flocks in the state of Minnesota were impacted by aMPV.
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“It’s unfortunate, and it’s massive,” Kohls said. “In addition to commercial turkeys or the meat birds, our breeder flocks are negatively impacted as well. For breeder birds, they have a significant reduction in the amount of eggs that they lay. Anytime you have breeder flocks impacted, there’s ripple effects, obviously, through the entire industry — less eggs, less poults, less birds, less turkey. It’s kind of been a rolling compound effect. There’s less baby poults, but then there’s also less birds coming out on the back end because of sick flocks.”
While the virus continues to cause issues for poultry producers, researchers at SDSU’s Animal Disease Research and Diagnostic Laboratory are working around the clock. Their quick identification of the virus was a game-changer.
“I remember the first meeting Dr. Mor confirmed that it was subtype B, people were actually not even able to believe that,” said Tamer Sharafeldin, an assistant professor Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences at South Dakota State University and veterinary pathologist at SDSU’s Animal Disease Research and Diagnostic Laboratory. “But, within a week, the USDA confirmed that as well, and that was actually a leading discovery for South Dakota State University.”
With the virus confirmed, SDSU researchers pivoted to focus on vaccine development. They are currently working on three types of vaccines: a killed vaccine, a live attenuated vaccine, and a vector vaccine. The killed vaccine is the quickest to develop, as researchers can isolate the virus, inactivate it, and then test its safety and efficacy.
“We have isolated the virus, so we just inactivate it, test the safety potency, and then get the USDA approval to give it to the birds,” Mor explained.
The team is also working to improve diagnostic tools, however, vaccine development remains the highest priority.
“The process is not going to happen in a day or two. It’s going to take some time. We are actually competing with time to be able to achieve this,” Sharafeldin said. “We have produced the weakened virus — that’s number one. Number two, we are starting to establish the baseline needed for vaccine safety and efficacy.”
Kennedy Tesch / Agweek
SDSU’s leadership in identifying the virus and developing solutions is vital not only for South Dakota but for the entire U.S. poultry industry.
“There’s a rapid need to develop vaccines for both the breeder flocks but also commercial turkey flocks as well. Developing that vaccine domestically will take some time, but there are a lot of folks working around the clock to make that happen,” Kohls said.
“South Dakota State University is not only the university that serves South Dakota citizens, it’s a university that leads research that would help the whole U.S. poultry industry in different states as well as it plays a very important role to enhance the U.S. economy,” Sharafeldin added.
Kennedy is a reporter for Agweek based out of South Dakota. She grew up on an organic crop farm where her family also raises cattle in eastern South Dakota. She graduated from South Dakota State University in 2023 with a major in agricultural communication and minor in agricultural business. She enjoys connecting with producers and agribusinesses across the region while reporting on all things agriculture.
See Republican Zach Lahn speak after primary win in governor’s race
GOP gubernatorial candidate Zach Lahn speaks to his supporters during an election night watch party on June 2, 2026, in West Des Moines.
The makeup of the Legislature was up in the air as of 1 a.m. after South Dakota’s primary election.
Ten Republican state lawmakers ousted in 2024 are angling to get their seats back in 2026. Results were mixed for the nine who had primaries on Tuesday, with results still coming in for several races and others set for possible recounts.
Shawn Bordeaux of Rosebud won the state’s only Democratic primary, beating Troy “Luke” Lunderman for a chance to return to the state Senate.
Bordeaux will face Chamberlain Republican Rebecca Reimer in November’s general election. Reimer, who was term-limited in the state House of Representatives, beat Lower Brule Sen. Tamara Grove in Tuesday’s primary.
In Watertown’s District 5, Rep. Josephine Garcia fell in a state Senate primary to incumbent Sen. Glen Vilhauer. Garcia beat Byron Callies in the 2024 primary to earn her seat in the House of Representatives, but opted to challenge Vilhauer for his Senate seat instead of seeking reelection to the House.
Callies, Vilhauer and Garcia are all from Watertown.
Vilhauer won with 59% of the vote. His was one of the first state legislative victories of the night reported on the Secretary of State’s website.
Vilhauer won handily, but he said he wasn’t necessarily expecting to as polls opened on Tuesday.
“I knew it was going to be a battle going in,” Vilhauer said. “She worked hard on her side, and I didn’t know what to expect.”
Callies was among the first to call Vilhauer to congratulate him, around 9:30 p.m.
“I’m happy, because Glen’s a solid legislator,” said Callies, who’s angling to win his seat back in the general election.
Garcia did not return a call seeking comment.
In District 21, Sen. Mykala Voita of Bonesteel beat former Sen. Erin Tobin of Winner in a rematch of their 2024 contest, which Voita won by a few dozen votes that year. This time around, Voita bested Tobin by 1,002 votes.
In response to a request for comment, Voita sent a text reading “Glory to God!”
Tobin did not return a call from South Dakota Searchlight about her race after it was called, but said earlier in the evening she would be “at peace” with the results regardless of what they might be.
Another rematch saw Yanktonites Lauren Nelson and Jean Hunhoff battling for District 18’s state Senate seat. Nelson was a newcomer in 2024 when she beat Hunhoff, who’d spent decades in the Capitol between stints in the House and Senate. On Tuesday, Nelson held off Hunhoff, winning by 243 votes.
Other notable races
- District 4 Rep. Dylan Jordan of Clear Lake, first elected in 2024, finished fourth in a five-way race. As of 1 a.m. Wednesday, he trailed Ryan Kohl of Milbank and former Rep. Fred Deutsch of Florence, in first and second place, respectively. A recount is possible in that race, with 59 votes separating the top two vote-getters while Rep. Kent Roe, of Hayti, came in third place, with 72 fewer votes than Deutsch.
- District 4 has two possible recounts. In the other, Bryant’s Stephanie Sauder beat Clear Lake’s Tim Begalka by 105 votes in the unofficial tally from the Secretary of State.
- District 1 Rep. Logan Manhart of Aberdeen, elected in the 2024 primary, fell to Rep. Nick Fosness, a hospital administrator appointed by Gov. Larry Rhoden in 2025, and newcomer Daniel Kjos.
- Another recount was possible as of Wednesday at 1 a.m., in the District 16 race for House of Representatives. Rep. John Shubeck of Beresford trailed Lisa Bogue of Beresford by 245 votes in unofficial results. Jason VanDenTop of Canton was in third place, trailing Shubeck by 68 votes.
Vote totals incomplete
- Sen. John Carley of Piedmont, who won his first term in 2024, trailed William Meirose of Sturgis by 166 votes as of 1 a.m. Wednesday.
- Former Rep. Tyler Tordsen led Rep. Tony Kayser by two votes in the District 14 primary, with results still coming in. The Sioux Falls men are vying for second place and a spot on the November general election ballot alongside Rep. Taylor Rehfeldt of Sioux Falls, who led by more than 600 votes early Wednesday.
- District 28 Sen. Sam Marty of Prairie City was in a close race with former legislator Ryan Maher of Isabel.
- Former Rep. Gary Cammack of Union Center, who lost his seat in 2024, and Gary Deering of Hereford, led Reps. Terri Jorgenson of Piedmont and Kathy Rice of Blackhawk in the District 29 race.
- In District 30, Hot Springs Sen. Amber Hulse led former Sen. Julie Frye-Mueller of Rapid City by more than 1,300 votes.
- Former Sen. David Johnson of Rapid City led Sen. Curt Voight of Rapid City in a rematch of their 2024 race for District 33 Senate in early results.
- Rep. Heather Baxter of Rapid City has signaled her intention to challenge sitting Secretary of State Monae Johnson for the Republican nomination to that constitutional office at the state’s Republican Party convention this summer. In early results, Baxter trailed former Rapid City Rep. Becky Drury and Rep. Mike Derby in the District 34 primary.
- Early results in the District 35 primary put Sen. Greg Blanc, elected in 2024, in a close race with fellow Rapid City resident Nicole Mitzel.
South Dakota Searchlight is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
South Dakota
Republican businessman Toby Doeden advances to primary runoff in South Dakota governor’s race
Republican businessman Toby Doeden has advanced to a runoff in South Dakota governor’s race, NBC News projects.
Gov. Larry Rhoden, who replaced Kristi Noem last year when President Donald Trump nominated her to lead the Department of Homeland Security, was battling with Rep. Dusty Johnson and former state House Speaker Jon Hansen for a second spot in the July 28 runoff. The primary will go to a runoff because no candidate eclipsed 35% of the vote.
Trump did not issue an endorsement in the race. Doeden branded himself on his campaign website as “a total political outsider who’s tired of the government’s failure to deliver on its promises” and one of Trump’s “fiercest supporters.”
Rhoden, a former lieutenant governor, agriculture secretary and lawmaker, campaigned on property tax cuts and lowering crime in his bid for a four-year term.
Johnson is the state’s lone representative in the House, where he previously was chair of the Republican Main Street Caucus. Hansen, who was elected to the South Dakota House in 2010, held several leadership positions before he became speaker.
The Republican nominee will be the favorite to win the general election in the solidly red state this fall. A Democrat has not served as governor in South Dakota since the 1970s, and Trump carried the state by 29 points in 2024.
News
Agronomist: eastern South Dakota crops hit and miss
An agronomist in eastern South Dakota says corn and soybeans are hit and miss as the growing season begins.
Steven Zemlicka with AgTegra Cooperative tells Brownfield, “We’ve got corn anywhere from V1 all the way up to V4. Biggest stuff’s maybe touching V5. Corn’s coming right along, looks pretty good. A little bit of hail here too, but I don’t think it’s going to be much of an issue. Stands for the most part are pretty good, pretty solid.”
Zemlicka says soybean emergence has been slow due to the wet, cool conditions, and there are a few fields that still need planted.
“People were still working on planting soybeans when we got the recent rain.”
He says recent rain totals ranged from a half inch to as much as four inches in the northeast part of South Dakota; the southern part of the state has been drier.
South Dakota’s corn is rated 61 percent good to excellent, with soybean conditions rated 57 percent good to excellent, according to USDA’s first condition ratings of the season.
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