CIFMIA 2025 in Rabat

Saint-Hyacinthe, June 9, 2025 – On May 22 and 23, the city of Rabat hosted for the second time after 11 years, the Colloque International Francophone sur les Maladies Infectieuses Animales (CIFMIA), a major event bringing together the French-speaking scientific community working in the field of animal health. This event was jointly organized by the Swine and Poultry Infectious Diseases Research Center (CRIPA) of the Université de Montréal and the Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire Hassan II (IAV Hassan II) of Rabat. 

This gathering allowed 103 participants from Morocco, Tunisia, Belgium, France, Canada, Senegal and Burkina Faso to exchange on scientific advances related to animal infectious diseases. The conference was marked by the richness of its program, with 8 renowned invited speakers, 7 researcher presentations, 9 student conferences, 28 poster presentations, as well as 9 sponsors, including 6 from the private sector, 2 from the public academic sector and 1 Canadian granting agency, the International Development Research Centre (IDRC).

The CIFMIA was also an opportunity to pay tribute to several major figures in animal microbiology: 

• The CIFMIA Tribute Prize was awarded to Professor Jacques Mainil.

• The CRIPA Exceptional Career Prize was awarded to Professor Freddy Haesebrouck.

• The IAV Hassan II Tribute Prize was awarded to Professor Mohamed Mahi Fassi-Fehri.

  
  

The event highlighted the dynamism of the next generation, with prizes awarded to the best presentations:

• 1st Prize Conference: Chloé Saada (École Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse, France)

• 2nd Prize Conference: Hanan El Ouadi (Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire Hassan II, Marocco)

• 1st Prize Poster: Pingwindé Bruno Sawadogo (Université de Montréal, Canada)

• 2nd Prize Poster: Idbarka Abdellatif (Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire Hassan II, Marocco)

Among the supported students, Asma Ben Haj Yahia, a doctoral student at the École Nationale de Médecine Vétérinaire de Sidi Thabet in Tunisia, was able to travel to Rabat thanks to a scholarship offered by IDRC. She presented her work on the Caractérisation des Escherichia coli producteurs de bêta-lactamases à spectre étendu (BLSE) et résistants aux carbapénèmes isolés chez des chiens diarrhéiques en Tunisie : Premier rapport du gène blaIMP chez les animaux de compagnie.

The CIFMIA permanent office warmly thanks all participants and partners for their commitment.

About the CRIPA

The CRIPA, Swine and poultry infectious diseases research center, is a Quebec strategic cluster financed by the Fonds de recherche du Québec. Its mission is to improve the control of pathogens that affect the pig and poultry industries, having an economic impact and on the health of populations. Population health includes animal health and welfare, the health of workers and industry stakeholders, and the general public. For more information, visit www.cripa.center. 

About the IAV Hassan II

is a multidisciplinary polytechnic center of expertise that provides initial and continuing training for specialists in life and earth sciences and technologies. It has three fundamental integrated missions: training, research, and development. It actively contributes to the effort to modernize agriculture by conducting innovative research programs that meet the expectations and needs of a constantly evolving agricultural world. For more information, visit www.iav.ac.ma.

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Information

Gabriela Silva-Guerra 

Communication Officer

Swine and Poultry Infectious Diseases Research Center (CRIPA) 

450 773 8521, extension 8233 | gabriela.silva-guerra@umontreal.ca