On February 22, 2025, Prof. MVDr. Václav Kouba, DrSc., who was a world-renowned expert in the field of epizootology, left us. As one of the few experts from Czechoslovakia, he held a high position at the UN in Rome, as Chairman of the Department of Animal Health. He was the founder of “Global Epizootiology”, a new field of biomedical sciences, with strategic importance for life on our planet and the survival of humanity.
On the centennial anniversary of the founding of the Chamber of Veterinary Surgeons of the Czech Republic in 2019, Prof. Kouba received the “Award for Lifetime Contribution to Veterinary Medicine”, i.e. for his significant contribution to successful national, international and global recovery programs against animal diseases and for founding the field of global epizootiology (for details, see ResearchGate). Under his leadership, as the chief veterinary epidemiologist, nationwide health programs were prepared, including the eradication of brucellosis, tuberculosis, Teschen disease, including the eradication of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD).
He has worked at the Institute of the Tropics and Subtropics (ITS), later at the Faculty of Tropical Agriculture (FTA) of the Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague, since 2001 and has significantly participated in pedagogical and scientific research activities in the fields of study: Animal Hygiene, General Epizootiology, Food Hygiene, Human Nutrition and Foodborne Diseases.
He passed on his professional and practical experience while teaching diploma and doctoral students at the Department of Animal Science and Food Processing of the FTA. With doctoral students and their supervisors, from among the university teachers of the Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences (FTA), he participated in solving scientific-research and practical topics in the veterinary field in the countries of Africa, Asia and Latin America, but also in the EU countries.
The professor was a respected expert and, thanks to his knowledge and practical approach to solving veterinary issues, he indelibly influenced the students with whom he collaborated during his career with his human approach and they are currently achieving growth in their further professional and personal careers.
With the elegance that is characteristic of him, he always actively approached teaching and solving procedures in grant projects for developing countries, which was appreciated not only by students, but also by colleagues at the ITS and FTA workplaces at the CULS Prague.
Honor to his memory.
On behalf of FTZ,
Ing. Petra Chaloupková, PhD, dr. h.c, 1st vicedean of FTA
Prof. MVDr. Daniela Lukešová, CSc.
Doc. Ing. Vladimír Krepl, CSc.