The Vector-Borne Disease Section (VBDS) protects the health and well-being of Californians from diseases transmitted to people from insects and other animals.

Pesticide resistance testing and reporting is an important part of surveillance for arthropod vectors and the disease organisms they transmit. Recently, interest has increased on developing a statewide program for resistance testing. Under this program, actual testing of susceptibility of arthropod vectors for various pesticides would be done either by individual mosquito and vector control agencies or by centralized regional laboratories. The Vector-borne Disease Section of the Department of Public Health would coordinate the program, University of California Mosquito Control Laboratory at the Kearney Agriculteral Center would participate by developing and evaluating test protocols, and the UC Center for Vectorborne diseases would participate by developing modern tools for data submission, storage, and analysis.

The use of public health pesticides in California is a very important subject. It involves a number of programs, ranging from pesticide use reporting to the Department of Pesticide Regulation via County Agricultural Commissioners, Surveillance programs for resistance to pesticides by mosquitoes and other pests of public health importance, and training and certification of applicators of public health pesticides. Information on these subjects can be found under this general category. Also included are links to other resources on use and safety of public health pesticides.