Oregon Public Broadcasting

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has given Washington State University a 25-million-dollar grant for its new School for Global Animal Health. The school will focus on the prevention and treatment of livestock diseases, including many that can spread to humans. 

Fil Randazzo is a senior program officer with the Gates Foundation. He says the school shares the Foundation's priority of improving human health in developing countries.

Randazzo: "The link between animal and human health is a strong one, as we've seen over and over again with diseases like HIV, SARS and pandemic bird flu crossing over from animals to humans."

The WSU Regents approved the new school Friday as part of the College of Veterinary Medicine. The Gates Foundation grant will help build an infectious disease research facility on the Pullman campus.

WSU officials say there is no timeline set for the construction of the research facility. But classes will begin in the new program next school year.