Skilled in developing and managing avian, human, pandemic influenza protocols and implementing robust functional infectious disease surveillance systems, Talla Nzussouo has a strong knowledge of infectious diseases, public health, virology, epidemiology, health services research, and immunization with expertise in developing and strengthening surveillance and laboratory networks. He is a passionate leader with a solid history of success in training, mentoring, and leading cross-functional teams to achieve shared visions and goals. He is adept at building relationships with various ministries, national/international partners, and related governmental agencies, academic institutions, NGOs, and international health organizations to resolve public health issues associated with the prevention and control of avian, human, pandemic influenza, and other infectious diseases.
Talla Nzussouo currently holds the position of Epidemiology and Laboratory Regional Advisor for the West Africa Region with the US CDC Influenza Division/Dexis Professional Services. He has been in this role since 2008, initially with the US Naval Medical Research Unit-3 (NAMRU-3, until 2012). In this role, he has produced major improvements and advances in the surveillance of influenza and other viral respiratory pathogens, providing technical support to ministries of health and national influenza reference laboratories/NICs across the AFRO region, particularly in West Africa (Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, Togo, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Mauritania, Guinea-Conakry, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Senegal) and Central Africa (Chad, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Gabon). He played a pivotal role in advancing and strengthening public health systems through respiratory disease surveillance, pandemic preparedness, and response, in the framework of the one health concept.
At the beginning of his career in 2006, Talla Nzussouo served as influenza Country Advisor with the U.S. CDC Influenza Division in Cote d’Ivoire (until 2008 when he was promoted to regional advisor). He made significant contributions to establishing a robust respiratory surveillance platform and building an efficient pandemic preparedness response system in Cote d’Ivoire especially with the recurrent outbreaks of the highly pathogenic avian influenza. Before assuming this role, Talla was a Research Intern at the US CDC Global AIDS Program Virology Laboratory in Cote d’Ivoire (2003 – 2005) and conducted critically important investigations of HIV drug resistance in HIV-infected adult and pediatric patients receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) during at least one year (12 to 36 months of therapy); this was a significant achievement that led to the successful defense of his Doctorate degree in Medicine with honors, in 2005.
Talla Nzussouo is also a holder of a Bachelor of Science in Biology (Major – Biochemistry and Minor – Medical Laboratory Technology) from the University of Buea in Cameroon (1993). He holds a Specialization Degree in Bacteriology-Virology (2006), a Master of Science (DEA-Diplôme d’Etudes Approfondies) in Human and Tropical Biology (Bacteriology-Virology as Major, 2009) from the School of Medicine of the University Felix Houphouet-Boigny (Cocody) in Côte d’Ivoire. Talla is also a holder of an Epidemiology Diploma in Methods and Practice in Epidemiology from the University of Bordeaux-2 Victor Segalen in France (2007) and holds a Master of Public Health from the Walden University, USA (2016). He also completed the International Course in Applied Epidemiology with the Rollins School of Public Health Emory University, USA (2009) and recently, he successfully completed the Artificial Intelligence (AI) in healthcare program with the John Hopskins University, USA (2026).