Center focusing on emerging viruses in humans and animals (tick-borne and respiratory viruses)
Official title: Center for Research in Emerging Infectious Diseases - Epidemiology, Surveillance and Pathogenesis
Funded at Washington University · NIH-11617655 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A nationwide and international research effort will study emerging viruses in the Midwest and Asia to understand how they spread between animals, ticks, and people.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Washington University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Saint Louis, United States) |
| Project start | May 11, 2020 |
| Project end | June 30, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $38,340 |
| NIH project number | 3U01AI151810-06S4 |
| Project ID | NIH-11617655 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with unexplained fever or respiratory illness, and individuals (including those in close contact with animals) in study regions.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals without exposure to the study regions or those not experiencing relevant symptoms may not benefit.
What this research studies
This program will monitor viruses in ticks, animals, and people across sites in the Midwest U.S. and Asia (Hong Kong, Nepal, Korea). Researchers will track tick-borne viruses like Heartland virus and Bourbon virus, along with related family members, and examine emerging respiratory viruses that may jump from animals to humans. The team will conduct surveillance of patients with respiratory illness or fever and collect samples from animals and ticks that live near people. Seroprevalence in humans will be measured to gauge past exposure and spillover risk. The work will help identify where and how spillover could occur and inform public health responses.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, it could improve early detection and prevention of emerging viruses that threaten people at home and abroad.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work on emerging viruses has established the feasibility of cross-border surveillance and transmission studies.
Where this research is happening
-
Washington University
Saint Louis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wang, David — Washington University
- Study coordinator: Wang, David
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.