Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Division of Vector-Borne Diseases
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| Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Division of Vector-Borne Diseases | |
|---|---|
| Name | Division of Vector-Borne Diseases |
| Parent | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |
| Formed | 1946 |
| Headquarters | Atlanta, Georgia |
| Chief1 name | Director |
| Chief1 position | Director |
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Division of Vector-Borne Diseases The Division of Vector-Borne Diseases is a unit within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention focused on prevention, surveillance, and control of diseases transmitted by arthropods and other vectors. It operates at federal facilities in Atlanta, Georgia and through collaborations with state health departments such as the California Department of Public Health, Texas Department of State Health Services, and Florida Department of Health. The Division interacts with international organizations including the World Health Organization, Pan American Health Organization, and national institutes such as the National Institutes of Health and United States Department of Health and Human Services.
History
The Division traces roots to post‑World War II public health efforts linked to the Office of Malaria Control in War Areas, the Communicable Disease Center, and later reorganizations that mirrored responses to outbreaks like West Nile virus emergence in the United States and resurging dengue fever in the Americas. Early program development was influenced by figures and institutions such as Hermann Gmeiner, the Rockefeller Foundation, and research at Emory University and the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. The Division expanded during periods marked by events including the Zika virus epidemic, the Lyme disease recognition in Connecticut, and policy responses informed by the Public Health Service Act and collaborations with the Environmental Protection Agency.
Mission and Responsibilities
The Division's mission aligns with mandates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and federal statutes to reduce morbidity from vector‑borne pathogens such as Plasmodium falciparum, Borrelia burgdorferi, Yersinia pestis, and arboviruses including Zika virus, West Nile virus, and Chikungunya virus. Responsibilities include laboratory diagnostics at facilities akin to the Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, epidemiologic investigations paralleling methods used in responses to the 2009 flu pandemic, development of guidelines similar to those issued by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and coordination with agencies like the United States Geological Survey for habitat mapping.
Organizational Structure and Programs
The Division is organized into branches comparable to academic departments at Johns Hopkins University and program offices that mirror structures at the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases. Programs address vector ecology, laboratory sciences, epidemiology, and emergency response, resembling units within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention such as the Division of Global Migration and Quarantine. Operational programs include surveillance networks analogous to the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, laboratory reference services similar to those at the Food and Drug Administration, and training partnerships like those with the Epidemic Intelligence Service and Field Epidemiology Training Program.
Research and Surveillance
Research priorities cover vector genomics, insecticide resistance, pathogen evolution, and vaccine development, with methods used by institutions like the Broad Institute, Salk Institute, and Rockefeller University. Surveillance systems integrate data from state health departments, hospital systems like Mayo Clinic, and electronic reporting systems inspired by Health Level Seven International standards, and draw on mapping techniques from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and US Geological Survey. The Division conducts field studies in regions including the Caribbean, Central America, West Africa, and the Pacific Islands, collaborating with laboratories such as the Fiocruz and universities including University of California, Davis and London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.
Public Health Initiatives and Outreach
Initiatives include public guidance campaigns modeled on communications from the World Health Organization and vaccination outreach strategies used by the Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Educational efforts target clinicians at institutions like Cleveland Clinic and Massachusetts General Hospital, and engage communities through partnerships with nongovernmental organizations such as the American Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders. The Division issues clinical guidance similar in scope to materials from the Infectious Diseases Society of America, coordinates vector control strategies used in urban programs in New York City and Los Angeles, and supports school‑based education comparable to programs from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Foundation.
Partnerships and Collaborations
The Division works with federal partners including the Department of Defense, United States Agency for International Development, and the United States Antarctic Program, and with international partners like the Pan American Health Organization and national public health institutes such as the Robert Koch Institute and Institut Pasteur. Academic collaborations include joint projects with Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Yale School of Public Health, and Oxford University, and private sector partnerships with biotechnology firms modeled on alliances with companies like Moderna and diagnostic manufacturers akin to Abbott Laboratories.
Notable Achievements and Impact
Notable achievements include establishment of national surveillance protocols that informed policy during the West Nile virus spread, improvements in diagnostic assays referenced by laboratories such as Fort Detrick, and contributions to vector control guidelines adopted in responses to the Zika virus epidemic and dengue outbreaks in the Americas. The Division's work has influenced clinical practice at hospitals including Johns Hopkins Hospital and Stanford Health Care, informed scientific literature appearing in journals like The Lancet and New England Journal of Medicine, and supported global capacity building through training programs modeled on the Epidemic Intelligence Service.