Vivek Kapur

Associate Director, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences; Huck Distinguished Chair in Global Health; Professor of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases

Vivek Kapur

Research Summary

The basic mechanisms by which pathogenic microbes successfully infect, colonize, and cause disease in their hosts.

Huck Graduate Students

Huck Affiliations

Links

Most Recent Publications

Latent class analysis identifies risk groups to model the expected benefits of SARS-CoV-2 interventions among university students.

Arnold CRK, N Bharti, C Exten, M Small, S Srinivasan, S Kuchipudi, Vivek Kapur, M Ferrari, 2025, Scientific reports on p. 11199

Comparative performance of tuberculin and defined-antigen cocktails for detecting bovine tuberculosis in BCG-vaccinated cattle in natural settings

Abebe Fromsa, Andrew J.K. Conlan, Sreenidhi Srinivasan, Balako Gumi, Wegene Bedada, Miserach Zeleke, Dawit Worku, Matios Lakew, Biniam Tadesse, Berecha Bayissa, Asegedech Sirak, Musse Girma Abdela, Getnet Abie Mekonnen, Tesfaye Chibssa, Maroudam Veerasami, Gareth J. Jones, H. Martin Vordermeier, Nick Juleff, James L.N. Wood, Gobena Ameni, Vivek Kapur, 2025, Scientific Reports on p. 4564

Recovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Complex Isolates Including Pre–Extensively Drug-Resistant Strains From Cattle at a Slaughterhouse in Chennai, India

Harini Ramanujam, Ahmed Kabir Refaya, Kannan Thiruvengadam, Natesan Pazhanivel, Devika Kandasamy, Ashokkumar Shanmugavel, Ammayappan Radhakrishnan, Golla Radhika, Rajkumar Ravi, Neelakandan Ravi, Maheswaran Palanisamy, Sivakumar Shanmugam, Tod P. Stuber, Vivek Kapur, Kannan Palaniyandi, 2025, Open Forum Infectious Diseases

Early calf segregation enables development of bovine tuberculosis-free replacement stock in a highly infected dairy herd: a preliminary study in Ethiopia

M Lakew, B Tadesse, W Bedada, B Wakjira, G Mekonnen, T Chibssa, H Ashenafi, G Ameni, Conlan AJK, D Bakker, B Gumi, Vivek Kapur, 2025, Frontiers in Veterinary Science on p. 1551065

Bovine tuberculosis in Central Ethiopian slaughterhouses and the identification of causative mycobacteria by multiplex real-time PCR

Abebe Fromsa, Andrew J.K. Conlan, Sreenidhi Srinivasan, Miserach Zeleke, Dawit Worku, Matios Lakew, Musse Girma Abdela, Getahun Bahiru, James L.N. Wood, Douwe Bakker, Balako Gumi, Gobena Ameni, Vivek Kapur, 2024, BMC Microbiology

Assessing the feasibility of test-and-cull and test-and-segregation approaches for the control of high-prevalence bovine tuberculosis in Ethiopian intensive dairy farms

Matios Lakew, Biniam Tadesse, Sreenidhi Srinivasan, Muluken Aschalew, Bekele Andarge, Dirshaye Kebede, Addisu Etifu, Tena Alemu, Bekele Yalew, Teferi Benti, Abebe Olani, Shubisa Abera, Wegene Bedada, Abebe Fromsa, Getnet Abie Mekonnen, Gizat Almaw, Gobena Ameni, Hagos Ashenafi, Balako Gumi, Douwe Bakker, Vivek Kapur, 2024, Scientific Reports

Comparative pathogenesis of Ethiopia/Habru/2014 Lineage-IV peste des petits ruminants virus in goats and cattle

Fasil Aklilu, Hagos Ashenafi, Tesfu Kassa, Hassen Chaka, Demeke Sibhatu, Dereje Shegu, Abde Aliy Mohammed, Redeat Belaineh, Menbere Kidane, Hagos Asgedom, Tesfaye Chibssa, Getnet Mekonnen, Asegedetch Sirak, Solomon Gebredufe, Claudia Schulz, Catherine M. Herzog, Vivek Kapur, 2024, BMC Veterinary Research

Comparative analysis of tuberculin and defined antigen skin tests for detection of bovine tuberculosis in buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) in Haryana state, India

Mohit Kumar, Tarun Kumar, Babu Lal Jangir, Mahavir Singh, Devan Arora, Yogesh Bangar, Andrew Conlan, Martin Vordermeier, Douwe Bakker, S. M. Byregowda, Sreenidhi Srinivasan, Vivek Kapur, Naresh Jindal, 2024, BMC Veterinary Research

Temporal dynamics of the early immune response following Mycobacterium bovis infection of cattle

Thomas Holder, Sreenidhi Srinivasan, Adrian McGoldrick, Gareth A. Williams, Simonette Palmer, John Clarke, Amanda O’Brien, Andrew J.K. Conlan, Nick Juleff, H. Martin Vordermeier, Gareth J. Jones, Vivek Kapur, 2024, Scientific Reports

Empirical and model-based evidence for a negligible role of cattle in peste des petits ruminants virus transmission and eradication

Peter Hudson, Catherine M. Herzog, Fasil Aklilu, Demeke Sibhatu, Dereje Shegu, Redeat Belaineh, Abde Aliy Mohammed, Menbere Kidane, Claudia Schulz, Brian J. Willett, Sarah Cleaveland, Dalan Bailey, Andrew R. Peters, Isabella M. Cattadori, Hagos Asgedom, Joram Buza, Mesfin Sahle Forza, Tesfaye Rufael Chibssa, Solomon Gebre, Nick Juleff, Ottar N. Bjørnstad, Michael D. Baron, Vivek Kapur, 2024, Communications Biology on p. 937

Most-Cited Papers

Multiple spillovers from humans and onward transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in white-tailed deer

Suresh V. Kuchipudi, Meera Surendran-Nair, R Ruden, M Yon, R Nissly, Kurt J. Vandegrift, R Nelli, Lingling Li, Bhushan Jayarao, Costas D. Maranas, N Levine, K Willgert, Andrew J.K. Conlan, Conlan AJK, R Olsen, J Davis, J Musser, Peter John Hudson, Vivek Kapur, 2022, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

Convalescent plasma anti–SARS-CoV-2 spike protein ectodomain and receptor-binding domain IgG correlate with virus neutralization

Eric Salazar, 23 names , Suresh Kuchipudi, Isabella Cattadori, Paul Christensen, Todd Eagar, Xin Yi, Picheng Zhao, Zhicheng Jin, S. Long, Randall Olsen, Jian Chen, Brian Castillo, Christopher Leveque, Dalton Towers, Jason Lavinder, Jimmy Gollihar, Jose Cardona, Gregory Ippolito, Ruth Nissly, Ian Bird, Denver Greenawalt, Randall Rossi, Abhinay Gontu, Sreenidhi Srinivasan, Indira Poojary, I Cattadori, Peter J. Hudson, Nicole Josleyn, Laura Prugar, Kathleen Huie, Andrew Herbert, David Bernard, John Dye, Vivek Kapur, James Musser, 2020, Journal of Clinical Investigation on p. 6728-6738

Neutralizing Aptamers Block S/RBD-ACE2 Interactions and Prevent Host Cell Infection

Xiaohui Liu, Yi ling Wang, Jacky Wu, Jianjun Qi, Zihua Zeng, Quanyuan Wan, Zhenghu Chen, Pragya Manandhar, Victoria S. Cavener, Nina R. Boyle, Xinping Fu, Eric Salazar, Suresh V. Kuchipudi, Vivek Kapur, Xiaoliu Zhang, Michihisa Umetani, Mehmet Sen, Richard C. Willson, Shu hsia Chen, Youli Zu, 2021, Angewandte Chemie - International Edition on p. 10273-10278

Comparison of O-antigen gene clusters of all O-serogroups of Escherichia coli and proposal for adopting a new nomenclature for O-typing

Chitrita DebRoy, Pina M. Fratamico, Xianghe Yan, Gian Marco Baranzoni, Yanhong Liu, David S. Needleman, Robert Tebbs, Catherine D. O'Connell, Adam Allred, Michelle Swimley, Michael Mwangi, Vivek Kapur, Juan A. Raygoza Garay, Elisabeth L. Roberts, Robab Katani, 2016, PLoS One on p. e0147434

Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from humans to animals and potential host adaptation

Cedric C.S. Tan, Su Datt Lam, Damien Richard, Christopher J. Owen, Dorothea Berchtold, Christine Orengo, Meera Surendran Nair, Suresh V. Kuchipudi, Vivek Kapur, Lucy van Dorp, François Balloux, 2022, Nature Communications

Prevalence of Bovine Tuberculosis in India: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Sreenidhi Srinivasan, Laurel Easterling, Bipin Rimal, Xiaoyue Maggie Niu, Andrew J.K. Conlan, Patrick Dudas, Vivek Kapur, 2018, Transboundary and Emerging Diseases on p. 1627-1640

Reconsidering Mycobacterium bovis as a proxy for zoonotic tuberculosis: a molecular epidemiological surveillance study

Shannon C. Duffy, Sreenidhi Srinivasan, Megan A. Schilling, Tod Stuber, Sarah N. Danchuk, Joy S. Michael, Manigandan Venkatesan, Nitish Bansal, Sushila Maan, Naresh Jindal, Deepika Chaudhary, Premanshu Dandapat, Robab Katani, Shubhada Chothe, Maroudam Veerasami, Suelee Robbe-Austerman, Nicholas Juleff, Vivek Kapur, Marcel A. Behr, 2020, The Lancet Microbe on p. e66-e73

A defined antigen skin test for the diagnosis of bovine tuberculosis

Sreenidhi Srinivasan, Gareth Jones, Maroudam Veerasami, Sabine Steinbach, Thomas Holder, Aboma Zewude, Abebe Fromsa, Gobena Ameni, Laurel Easterling, Douwe Bakker, Nicholas Juleff, Glen Gifford, R. G. Hewinson, H. Martin Vordermeier, Vivek Kapur, 2019, Science advances on p. eaax4899

Impact of helminth infections and nutritional constraints on the small intestine microbiota

Isabella M. Cattadori, Aswathy Sebastian, Han Hao, Robab Katani, Istvan Albert, Kirsten E. Eilertson, Vivek Kapur, Ashutosh Pathak, Susan Mitchell, 2016, PLoS One on p. e0159770

Transcriptional innate immune response of the developing chicken embryo to Newcastle disease virus infection

Megan A. Schilling, Robab Katani, Sahar Memari, Meredith Cavanaugh, Joram Buza, Jessica Radzio Basu, Fulgence N. Mpenda, Melissa S. Deist, Susan J. Lamont, Vivek Kapur, 2018, Frontiers in Genetics

News Articles Featuring Vivek Kapur

Mar 28, 2024

Vaccine protects cattle from bovine tuberculosis, may eliminate disease

Bovine tuberculosis (TB) is a livestock disease that results in large economic losses to animal agriculture worldwide. The disease can also transmit to humans and cause severe illness and death.

Full Article

Sep 02, 2022

Metabolomics Core Facility continues to expand while pushing scientific bounds

Established nearly a decade ago, Penn State’s Metabolomics Core Facility is housed in the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences on the University Park campus.

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May 22, 2022

The Michigan Mink Mystery: How Did an Interspecies Outbreak Unfold?

The puzzling coronavirus cases highlight ongoing surveillance challenges and blind spots.

Full Article

Apr 07, 2022

Preventing, controlling spread of animal diseases focus of forum at Penn State

Exploring the emergence, spread and control of animal infectious diseases was the focus of the inaugural Emerging Animal Infectious Disease Conference held Nov. 29-Dec.1, 2021, at Penn State. It was hosted by the College of Agricultural Sciences, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, and Penn State’s Center for Security Research and Education.

Full Article

Feb 22, 2022

The Coronavirus Menagerie

With the virus widespread in white-tailed deer, scientists wonder which animals might be next.

Full Article

Feb 21, 2022

Omicron detected for first time in white-tailed deer

Some white-tailed deer living in Staten Island, New York, are actively infected with the Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant of SARS-CoV-2, according to new research led by scientists at Penn State. The team also found neutralizing antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in one of the Omicron-infected deer, suggesting that, like humans, deer can be reinfected with the virus.

Full Article

Feb 16, 2022

COVID-19 May Be Widespread in Deer

An analysis by Penn State and Iowa researchers found that Covid-19 may be fairly widespread among white-tailed deer. Up to 80 percent of the deer sampled in Iowa from April 2020 through January 2021 were infected with COVID-19. And The U.S. Department of Agriculture has confirmed Covid infections in deer in 15 states total.

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Feb 10, 2022

Omicron-Infected Whitetail Deer Detected in New York

The first cases of whitetail deer carrying the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus have been discovered in Staten Island, New York. Researchers there report that 19 of 131 deer sampled between December 12, 2021, and Janauary 31, 2022, tested positive for the virus’ antibodies, indicating prior exposure to the coronavirus. PCR (polymerase chain reaction) nasal swab testing of 68 deer revealed that seven were actively infected, with at least four of those confirmed to be Omicron.

Full Article

Feb 09, 2022

Omicron Has Been Found in Deer—That Should Worry Us

There are more than 30 million white-tailed deer in the U.S. That’s a boon for hunters, a headache for gardeners, a hazard for drivers—and now, it appears, a possible problem in the world’s ongoing effort to control the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Feb 08, 2022

Omicron found in NYC deer raises questions about COVID transmission from animals to humans

The discovery of deer in New York City infected with the omicron variant is raising questions about whether or not animals could potentially transmit COVID-19 to humans.

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Feb 08, 2022

Not just humans: Study finds NYC omicron spike hit deer too

When New York City’s COVID-19 rates spiked last December due to the emerging omicron variant, humans weren’t the only mammals affected.

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Feb 07, 2022

Is the Coronavirus in Your Backyard?

White-tailed deer could become a reservoir for the virus, putting people and animals at risk, health experts say.

Full Article

Feb 02, 2022

Scientists discover shockingly high rates of COVID infections among white-tailed deer

Scientists have recently discovered what they are calling a silent outbreak of coronavirus among white-tailed deer. William Brangham reports about how one of the most ubiquitous species in North America contracted COVID, and what that means for the future of the pandemic.

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Nov 10, 2021

How SARS-CoV-2 in American deer could alter the course of the global pandemic

Scientists have evidence that SARS-CoV-2 spreads explosively in white-tailed deer and that the virus is widespread in this deer population across the United States.

Full Article

Nov 04, 2021

Uh Oh, the Coronavirus Has Been Spreading Widely in U.S. Deer

Up to a third of deer in Iowa had recently been infected by SARS-CoV-2, according to one estimate.

Full Article

Nov 03, 2021

Deer in Iowa appear to be catching COVID-19 from humans. Could it happen in other states?

The coronavirus appears to have infected many of Iowa’s deer, posing risks the virus could mutate in the animals and then re-enter the human population in an altered version, a new study says.

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Nov 03, 2021

Scientists fear animals could harbor coronavirus and then pass it back to humans

“This also raises the possibility of the spillback from deer back to humans, especially in exurban areas with high deer densities,” researchers said.

Full Article

Nov 03, 2021

Wild deer are giving each other COVID—a lot

Animals hosting the virus may act as a reservoir.

Full Article

Nov 03, 2021

Research Suggests Extensive COVID-19 Infections In White-Tailed Deer

The majority of Iowa's white-tailed deer may already be infected with the coronavirus.

Full Article

Nov 03, 2021

Researchers Detect Coronavirus in Iowa Deer

Multiple white tailed deer tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 likely transmitted from humans, a study finds, indicating the species could act as a reservoir for the virus.

Full Article

Nov 03, 2021

Deer may be reservoir for SARS-CoV-2, study finds

The findings of a study by Penn State and Iowa researchers suggest that white-tailed deer may be a reservoir for the SARS-CoV-2 virus to continually circulate, and raises concerns of emergence of new strains that may prove a threat to wildlife and, possibly, to humans.

Full Article

Nov 02, 2021

Widespread Coronavirus Infection Found in Iowa Deer, New Study Says

The analysis by Penn State and Iowa researchers strongly indicates that deer are getting the virus from humans, worrying experts about a deep wild reservoir for the virus.

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Oct 15, 2021

Huck Welcomes Sindura Ganapathi as Visiting Fellow in Global Heath

Ganapathi, a Penn State alum who now works for the Indian government, will give a pair of lectures next week while he visits University Park.

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Feb 25, 2021

Study finds short window for donating convalescent plasma to COVID-19 patients

The optimal timeframe for donating convalescent plasma for use in COVID-19 immunotherapy, which was given emergency-use authorization by the Food and Drug Administration in August 2020, is within 60 days of the onset of symptoms, according to a new Penn State-led study.

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Feb 25, 2021

Study finds short window for donating convalescent plasma to COVID-19 patients

The optimal timeframe for donating convalescent plasma for use in COVID-19 immunotherapy, which was given emergency use authorization by the Food and Drug Administration in August 2020, is within 60 days of the onset of symptoms, according to a new study. The research also reveals that the ideal convalescent plasma donor is a recovered COVID-19 patient who is older than 30 and whose illness had been severe.

Full Article