About DVBID

The Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases was established in Logan, Utah, in the 1950s as the Disease Ecology Section of CDC to deal with arboviral encephalitis in the western United States. In 1963, the unit moved to Greeley, Colorado, and in 1967 to its present location in Fort Collins, Colorado. The plague program was moved from San Francisco to the unit at that time. In 1974, the name was changed to the Division of Vector-Borne Viral Diseases. In 1989, the division was given the responsibility of developing a national Lyme disease program and was renamed the Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases to reflect its responsibilities for Lyme disease, plague, and other zoonotic bacterial infections.

What Is the Mission of DVBID?

The Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases serves as a national and international reference center for vector-borne viral and bacterial diseases. As one of the few remaining centers responsible for these agents, it is incumbent on the division to maintain leadership and scientific competence in all major disciplines relating to the field of vector-borne infectious diseases.

The mission of the division is to:

1. develop and maintain effective surveillance for vector-borne viral and bacterial agents and their arthropod vectors;
2. conduct field and laboratory research and epidemic aid investigations;
3. define disease etiology, ecology, and pathogenesis in order to develop improved methods and strategies for disease diagnosis, surveillance, prevention and control;
4. provide diagnostic reference and epidemiologic consultation, on request, to state and local health departments, other components of CDC, other federal agencies, and national and international health organizations; and
5. provide intramural and extramural technical expertise and assistance in professional training activities. Emphasis is given to laboratory and epidemiologic research to improve diagnosis, surveillance, prevention, and control of diseases of major public health importance such as Lyme disease, dengue/dengue hemorrhagic fever, West Nile virus, yellow fever, arboviral encephalitis, plague, and tularemia. In addition, expertise is maintained for other vector-borne infectious diseases that occur only sporadically or in periodic epidemics.

DVBID Organizational Structure

The organizational structure of DVBID includes an office of the directory and three branches:

• Office of the Director
  • Director
  • Deputy Director for Science
  • Deputy Director for Management
• Arbovirus Diseases Branch
  • Surveillance and Epidemiology Activity
  • Diagnostics and Reference Activity
  • Ecology and Entomology Activity
  • Virology Activity
  • Public Health Management Activity
• Bacterial Diseases Branch
  • Epidemiology Section
  • Diagnostic and Reference Section
  • Plague Section
  • Lyme Disease Vector Section
  • Molecular Bacteriology Section
• Dengue Branch (located in San Juan, Puerto Rico)
  • Epidemiology Section
  • Diagnostic and Reference Section
  • Entomology Section