Establishment of Center for Infectious Diseases (CID)   Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine has established Center for Infectious Diseases (CID) on April 1, 2009 (Director; Dr. Hak Hotta, Professor of Microbiology) through reorganization of the former International Center for Medical Research and Treatment (ICMRT). CID deals with both basic biomedical sciences and clinical aspects of infectious diseases, i.e., vaccine development and other strategies for diagnosis, treatment, control and prevention of infectious diseases, including dangerous new-types of influenza. CID is unique among similar research centers in universities in Japan.   CID consists of 8 divisions of basic biomedical sciences (Microbiology, Clinical Virology, Zoonotic Infections, Infectious Disease Pathology, International Infectious Disease Control, Bacteriology, Parasitology, and Vaccinology) and 3 divisions of clinical research (Infectious Disease Therapeutics, Infectious Disease Immunology, and Infectious Disease Diagnosis and Pathophysiology). CID aims to develop preventive, diagnostic and therapeutic measures, to consolidate therapy systems and to promote personnel trainings in the field of infectious diseases (see scheme of organization). In cooperation with WHO Kobe Center, Hyogo Prefectural Institute of Public Health and Environmental Sciences, and Kobe Institute of Health, CID aims to become a core center for infectious disease control and prevention in Hyogo prefecture.   Since 1960’s, members at Kobe University have collaborated with researchers in Indonesia, where a wide variety of new variant types of viruses are found. The research topics include H5N1 avian influenza, viral hepatitis, dengue fever and other emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. Rapid identification and analysis of the pathogens can accelerate production of good vaccines. CID will also address development of new therapeutic drugs for infectious diseases and new diagnostic tools for the variant types of pathogens. In addition, CID will deal with hospital-acquired infection and urban safety against infection.