NEWS SPOTLIGHT

KRISP NEWS

Mapping a Moving Virus

As climate and environmental change continue to reshape ecosystems across the world, scientists are warning that mosquito-borne diseases may spread into new regions, become more frequent, and intensify in areas already under pressure. A major new international research grant awarded to Dr Monika Moir at the Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI) will place Africa at the centre of efforts to better understand one of these moving threats: West Nile virus.

Order of Mapungubwe recognises African-led Genomic Surveillance and Global Public Health Impact

Prof Tulio de Oliveira, Director of the Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI) at Stellenbosch University and founder and director of the KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP) at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, has been awarded the Order of Mapungubwe in Gold by President Cyril Ramaphosa, in recognition of more than two decades of work building South Africa's capacity to detect, track, and respond to infectious disease threats.

When Lineages Reappear

A SARS-CoV-2 lineage once thought extinct has re-emerged after more than two years – revealing how the virus can evolve undetected and return with significant genetic change.

Advancing Genomics Capacity

Collaboration and continuous learning are at the heart of advancing genomics in Africa – and the return of Dr Armando Djiyou to KRISP reflects just that.

Science Is the Start, Business Is the Way

A fellowship designed to close Africa’s health innovation gap is already reshaping how young scientists think – and act – beyond the lab.

Rethinking How Health Research Works

Engaged research is reshaping how global health challenges are understood and addressed by bringing communities into every stage of the process. At CERI, this approach is helping to build more grounded, context-driven solutions for climate and infectious disease risks in vulnerable settings.

Beyond The Diagnostics

Marième Samb Traoré on innovation, access, and real-world impact.

PUBLICATIONS SPOTLIGHT

KRISP SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS

Addressing pandemic-wide systematic errors in the SARS-CoV-2 phylogeny.
Hunt M, Hinrichs A, Anderson D, Karim L, Dearlove B, Knaggs J, Constantinides B, Fowler P, Rodger G, Street T, Lumley S, Webster H, Sanderson T, Ruis C, Kotzen B, de Maio N, Amenga-Etego L, Amuzu D, Avaro M, Awandare G, Ayivor-Djanie R, Barkham T, Bashton M, Batty E, Bediako Y, De Belder D, Benedetti E, Bergthaler A, Boers S, Campos J, Carr R, Chen Y, Cuba F, Dattero M, Dejnirattisai W, Dilthey A, Duedu K, Endler L, Engelmann I, Francisco N, Fuchs J, Gnimpieba E, Groc S, Gyamfi J, Heemskerk D, Houwaart T, Hsiao N, Huska M, Hölzer M, Iranzadeh A, Jarva H, Jeewandara C, Jolly B, Joseph R, Kant R, Ki K, Kurkela S, Lappalainen M, Lataretu M, Lemieux J, Liu C, Malavige G, Mashe T, Mongkolsapaya J, Montes B, Mora J, Morang’a C, Mvula B, Nagarajan N, Nelson A, Ngoi J, da Paixão J, Panning M, Poklepovich T, Quashie P, Ranasinghe D, Russo M, San J, Sanderson N, Scaria V, Screaton G, Sessions O, Sironen T, Sisay A, Smith D, Smura T, Supasa P, Suphavilai C, Swann J, Tegally H, Tegomoh B, Vapalahti O, Walker A, Wilkinson R, Williamson C, Zair X, Biere B, Dürrwald R, Mache C, Oh D, Schulze J, Wedde M, Wolff T, Fuchs S, Semmler T, Paraskevopoulou S, Kerber R, Kröger S, Haas W, Bode K, Corman V, Erren M, Finzer P, Grosser R, Haffner M, Hermann B, Kiel C, Krumbholz A, Lorentz T, Meinck K, Nitsche A, Petzold M, Schwanz T, Szabados F, Tewald F, Tiemann C, de Oliveira T, Peto T, Crook D, Corbett-Detig R, Iqbal Z, Nature Methods (2026), 23:653-662.

Tracing the spatial origins and spread of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron lineages in South Africa.
Dor G, Wilkinson E, Martin DP, Moir M, Tshiabuila D, Kekana D, Ntozini B, Joseph R, Iranzadeh A, Nyaga MM, Goedhals D, Maponga T, Maritz J, Laguda-Akingba O, Ramphal Y, MacIntyre C, Chabuka L, Pillay S, Giandhari J, Baxter C, Hsiao NY, Preiser W, Bhiman JN, Davies MA, Venter M, Treurnicht FK, Wolter N, Williamson C, von Gottberg A, Lessells R, Tegally H, de Oliveira T, Nature Communications (2025), 28;16(1):4937. doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-60081-0:.

Genomic Surveillance of Climate-Amplified Cholera Outbreak, Malawi, 2022–2023.
Chabuka L, Choga W, Mavian C, Moir M, Morgenstern C, Tegaly H, Sharma A, Wilkinson E, Naidoo Y, Inward R, Bhatt S, WilliamWint G, Khan K, Bogoch I, Kraemer M, Lourenço J, Baxter C, Tagliamonte M, Salemi M, Lessells R, Mitambo C, Chitatanga R, Bitilinyu-Bango J, Chiwaula M, Chavula Y, Bukhu M, Manda H, Chitenje M, Malolo I, Mwanyongo A, Mvula B, Nyenje M, de Oliveira T, Kagoli M, Emerging Infectious Diseases (2025), 31(6):. doi: 10.3201/eid3106.240930.:.

Importance of outbreak response research in bridging knowledge gaps on emerging infectious diseases.
Breiman R, Osoro E, Reithinger R, Wang D, Diamond M, Van Voorhis W, Wasserheit J, Rabinowitz P, Mboup S, Hemingway-Foday J, de Oliveira T, Boon A, Schieffelin J, Sempowski G, Moody M, Vasilakis N, Hanley K, Nasimiyu C, Situma S, Ngere I, Kyobe Bosa H, Nyakarahuka L, Bakamutumaho B, Woodson S, Njenga M, BMJ Global Health (2025), 10(6):e018297. doi: 10.1136/bmjgh-2024-018297.:.

Artificial intelligence for modelling infectious disease epidemics.
Kraemer M, Tsui J, Chang S, Lytras S, Khurana M, Vanderslott S, Bajaj S, Scheidwasser N, Curran-Sebastian J, Semenova E, Zhang M, Unwin H, Watson O, Mills C, Dasgupta A, Ferretti L, Scarpino S, Koua E, Morgan O, Tegally H, Paquet U, Moutsianas L, Fraser C, Ferguson N, Topol E, Duchêne D, Stadler T, Kingori P, Parker M, Dominici F, Shadbolt N, Suchard M, Ratmann O, Flaxman S, Holmes E, Gomez-Rodriguez M, Schölkopf B, Donnelly C, Pybus O, Cauchemez S, Bhatt S, Nature (2025), :.

Spatiotemporal disease suitability prediction for Oropouche virus and the role of vectors across the Americas.
Poongavanan J, Dunaiski M, D’or G, Kraemer M, Giovanetti M, Lim A, Brady O, Baxter C, Fonseca V, Alcantara L, de Oliveira T, Tegally H, medRxiv (2025), doi: 10.1101/2025.02.28.25323068.:.

Characterization of SARS-CoV-2 intrahost genetic evolution in vaccinated and non-vaccinated patients from the Kenyan population.
Lugano D, Mwangi K, Mware B, Kibet G, Osiany S, Kiritu E, Dobi P, Muli C, Njeru R, de Oliveira T, Njenga M, Routh A, Oyola S, medRxiv (2025), doi: 10.1101/2025.03.03.25323296.:.

KRISP VIDEOS

COVID-19 | News sub-variant being monitored closely
By: Tulio De Oliveira and CERI and KRISP teams

KRISP BIOINFORMATICS TOOLS