Center of Excellence for Emerging and Zoonotic Animal Diseases

04/06/2026

This Week in Virology (TWiV) host Vincent Racaniello, visits the University of Kansas and speaks with Tony Fehr, Robin Orozco, Juergen Richt and Rob Unckless about their careers and the research ongoing in their laboratories.

Vincent visits the University of Kansas and speaks with Tony Fehr, Robin Orozco, Juergen Richt and Rob Unckless about their careers and the research ongoing ...

02/21/2026

CEEZAD Director Among 63 Fellows Elected to the American Academy of Microbiology
Dr. Juergen A. Richt, the Director of the Center of Excellence for Emerging and Zoonotic Animal Diseases (www.ceezad.org) and the Center on Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (CEZID; https://www.k-state.edu/cezid/) is one of 63 new members elected to the American Academy of Microbiology.

Follow the link below for further details.

https://ceezad.org/news_events/news/CEEZAD%20Elected%20to%20American%20Academy%20of%20Microbiology.html

Dr. Juergen A. Richt, the Director of the Center of Excellence for Emerging and Zoonotic Animal Diseases (www.ceezad.org) and the Center on Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (CEZID; https://www.k-state.edu/cezid/) is one of 63 new members elected to the American Academy of Microbiology.

02/18/2026

How Juergen Richt conducts a team tackling the world’s emerging animal diseases

In high-containment labs at K-State, Juergen Richt is building a global network of well-trained scientists trained prepared to stop the next big animal disease outbreak.

04/04/2025

Morocco: Tuberculosis
A Moroccan public health policy expert has mentioned that tuberculosis (TB) still poses a public health problem of concern in Morocco and, according to WHO disease statistics, the country registers 96 tuberculosis cases and 9 TB-related deaths per day. The country witnessed a slow reduction in annual TB incidence of 1% between the years 2015 and 2021, and this may not help the country in meeting the 2030 WHO global goal of tuberculosis disease elimination.
The policy expert added that "tuberculosis affects 59% of men compared to 41% of women, or 2 women for every 3 men," and "the 25-34 age group is the most affected," noting that "residents of densely populated neighborhoods and neighborhoods surrounding cities are the most vulnerable to infection."
He also said that two-thirds of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis cases are not detected, which poses a serious public health risk of the spread of drug-resistant tuberculosis. In addition, the incidence of extrapulmonary TB cases has risen from 28% in 1990 to 49% in 2021, far exceeding the expected rates.

04/04/2025

India: Avian Influenza
India has recorded its second human death due to bird flu after a 2-year-old girl from Narasaraopet in Andhra Pradesh's Palnadu district succumbed to the H5N1 virus.
The child was admitted to All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Mangalagiri after experiencing fever and difficulty in breathing. Despite receiving medical treatment, she passed away. Given concerns about avian influenza, her swab samples were tested at the AIIMS, confirming an H5N1 infection.
This diagnosis was later corroborated by the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune.
"The NIV lab in Pune has confirmed the presence of H5N1 virus in the swab," a health official from Andhra Pradesh told South First.

04/04/2025

India: Malaria
While most districts in Mizoram are making significant progress toward achieving the central govt's target of zero indigenous malaria cases by 2030, 4 districts along international borders continue to lag behind, said a senior state health department official.
India's malaria eradication program employs a multi-pronged approach, including enhanced surveillance, prompt case management, and integrated vector management, as outlined in the National Framework for Malaria Elimination (NFME) launched in 2016.
Dr Chawngthanchhunga, additional director of the National Centre for Vector Borne Diseases Control (NCVBDC) under the state health and family welfare department, identified Mamit district (bordering Bangladesh and Tripura), Lunglei district (bordering Bangladesh), Lawngtlai district (bordering Myanmar and Bangladesh), and Siaha district (bordering Myanmar) as the key areas hindering the state's progress in malaria eradication.

04/04/2025

Nigeria: Diphtheria
A few weeks after the report of the diphtheria outbreak at Kings College annex, Victoria Island, the Lagos State government has officially confirmed 10 cases of diphtheria. Meanwhile, the state health authorities have intensified efforts to control the outbreak.

Giving an update on the development by the State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, the number of suspected cases fluctuated significantly during the period, with some days seeing as many as 15 cases reported.
Abayomi revealed that laboratory tests on 76 samples confirmed 10 cases of diphtheria, while 63 returned negative results. "Three additional samples … are still awaiting results," he noted.
He said the outbreak has affected several local government areas (LGAs), with Eti-Osa recording the highest number of suspected cases at 44. Other LGAs impacted include Alimosho, Badagry, Ikorodu, Kosofe, Ojo, Mushin, and Lagos Island, which have reported varying numbers of suspected and confirmed cases.

04/04/2025

Pakistan: Lumpy Skin Disease
Lumpy skin disease (L*D), a highly infectious viral disease affecting cattle, has reemerged in central Sindh, raising alarm bells across the country over its potential spread.

The Sindh livestock department has confirmed multiple cases in Moro and Naushahro, marking the 2nd outbreak in less than 4 years. The disease was first reported in Pakistan in November 2021 in Sindh, followed by outbreaks in Punjab in March 2022, leading to significant losses for farmers.
According to official findings, the virus originally spread from India into Pakistan. The previous outbreaks resulted in economic losses amounting to billions of rupees due to decreased animal productivity, damage to hides, and high mortality rates. An estimated 7,000 cattle died during the 2021-2022 outbreak.

04/04/2025

India: African Swine Fever
A new outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) has struck Mizoram, leading to the deaths of over 510 pigs in just 2 weeks, officials confirmed. The highly contagious disease has spread across 13 villages and localities in Lawngtlai and Mamit districts, prompting urgent containment measures.
Teams from the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department (AHVD) have already culled around 100 pigs and piglets in an effort to prevent further transmission. The fresh outbreak was confirmed after testing at the Northeast Regional Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (NERDDL) in Guwahati.
The outbreak initially surfaced in Lawngtlai district, which shares an unfenced international border with Myanmar and Bangladesh. The infection then spread to Mamit district, which borders Tripura and Bangladesh. Authorities are now closely monitoring the situation to contain the disease and prevent further losses.

04/04/2025

Colombia: Yellow Fever
There is a new yellow fever focus in the south of Tolima.
The Governor of Tolima announces community actions and important resources to counteract new cases of the disease.
The governor of Tolima, Adriana Magali Matiz, announced community and health measures at the end of an extraordinary Departmental Risk Management Council meeting in response to the new case of yellow fever confirmed by the National Institute of Health (INS) in a scattered rural area in Ataco.
The governor announced an investment of $800 million [$190,000 USD] to strengthen community surveillance efforts in the municipalities of Ataco, Rioblanco, Chaparral, Ortega, and Planadas. "It will be a team of community managers with nursing assistants, health professionals, epidemiologists, and, of course, nurses.

04/04/2025

Britain: Avian Influenza
Bird flu has been found in seals at one of England's best-known colonies for the second time in recent months, scientists have said.
The virus has been detected in 15 dead seals during recent testing at Blakeney Point, Norfolk, government figures show.
More tests were carried out by staff from the "avian influenza national reference laboratory" after 2 grey seals tested positive at Blakeney Point in February. Results released by the Animal & Plant Health Agency and the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) show that 15 out of 40 seal carcasses tested were positive.
Detail was given in a government statement posted online. Scientists said they could not be sure that bird flu had been the "sole cause of death."

04/04/2025

Brazil: Chickungunya
The City of Cuiabá has extended the public health emergency decree for another 60 days due to the significant increase in cases of dengue, Zika, and chikungunya in the city. The decision maintains the combat actions initiated in January.
The municipality recorded 20 deaths caused by chikungunya, according to the Arbovirus Monitoring Panel, updated by the Ministry of Health. In addition, the survey reveals that, in the first 3 months of this year, 7,189 cases of the disease were recorded.
The measure reinforces the need for federal resources and maintains prevention actions, such as monitoring foci of Aedes aegypti mosquito breeding sites and awareness campaigns. The city government warns that the population must redouble its care to prevent the proliferation of the vector.