Skip to main content


U.S. flag
      An official website of the United States government
              Here’s how you know
        Here’s how you knowDot gov**Official websites use .gov**
                 A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
                  HTTPS**Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
                 A **lock** (A locked padlock) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. 
  Menu Close
          HHS Search block
    Search
        








  
  
    

  
      

                                      About HHS
    
                        
                              
      
      
      Programs & Services
    
                        
                              
      
      
      Grants & Contracts
    
                        
                              
      
      
      Laws & Regulations Breadcrumb
    Home
                              About
                              News
                              HHS Releases the National Public Health Strategy to Prevent and Control Vector-Borne Diseases in People
 Navigate to:
  News
    
                                    
                                            
            
      
      
      
      Blog
    
                                    
                                            
            
      
      
      
      HHS Live
    
                                    
                                            
            
      
      
      
      Podcasts
    
                                    
                                            
            
      
      
      
      Media Guidelines for HHS EmployeesText resize icon

                    




**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 6, 2024**

        **Contact: 
                                    ASH Media**
          202-205-0143ashmedia@hhs.gov

          HHS Releases the National Public Health Strategy to Prevent and Control Vector-Borne Diseases in People
    
    

      17 federal departments and agencies developed an interagency plan to combat vector-borne diseases

Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released the National Public Health Strategy to Prevent and Control Vector-Borne Diseases in People (VBD National Strategy). As directed by the 2019 Kay Hagan Tick Act—named after the U.S. Senator who died due to complications from a tickborne illness—HHS led a four-year process with civilian agencies and defense departments to deliver this strategy. Co-led by the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the strategy identifies and describes federal priorities to detect, prevent, respond to, and control diseases and conditions caused by vectors in the United States.

This VBD National Strategy represents the largest formal federal coordination effort focused on vector-borne disease prevention and control with contributions by over 50 representatives across 17 federal agencies. This collaborative effort will help

Address the significant public health challenges related to vector-borne diseases;
	Incorporate a One Health approach to enhance coordination and communication across human, animal, and environmental areas; and
	Reverse the upward trends in illness, suffering, and death.**Growing Problem of Vector-Borne Diseases**

Vectors—biting insects and arachnids like mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, and lice—can spread germs that make people sick. These diseases are major causes of death and illness worldwide, and they increasingly threaten the health and well-being of people in the United States. Diseases and conditions spread by vectors include Lyme disease, Zika virus, West Nile virus, dengue, malaria, plague, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and alpha-gal syndrome.

According to CDC, reported cases of these diseases doubled over the last two decades. Due to shifting land use patterns, global travel and trade, and a changing climate, the threat of existing and emerging vector-borne diseases continues to grow. As geographic ranges of vectors expand, the number of pathogens spread by vectors continues to climb—yet only one vaccine is available to protect people against almost 20 domestic threats.

**Goals of the Vector-Borne Disease National Strategy**

The rising public health threat of vector-borne diseases requires a comprehensive and sustained national effort to protect people. In 2020, the U.S. government published a framework responding to this need, titled A National Public Health Framework for the Prevention and Control of Vector-Borne Diseases in Humans (Framework). A consortium expanded the Framework into this comprehensive strategy.

As stipulated in the Kay Hagan Tick Act, HHS and CDC consulted the Tick-Borne Disease Working Group while developing the interagency strategy. The strategy incorporates recommendations from the now sunset Working Group.

In addition to identifying challenges and opportunities to enhance the prevention and control of vector-borne diseases, the strategy lays out an ambitious national public health approach to develop diagnostics, drugs, and treatments for coexisting conditions. Although critical to public health and wellness, clinical and healthcare services, access to care, legal protections, and reimbursement or payment for clinical services are outside the scope of this strategy.

**Implementing the VBD National Strategy**

The federal government envisions a nation where vector-borne diseases no longer threaten the health and well-being of people. Agencies and departments are proactively working to protect people from illness, suffering, and death due to vector-borne diseases by

Better understanding when, where, and how people are exposed to and get sick or die;
	Developing, evaluating, and improving tools, methods, and guidance to diagnose diseases and their pathogens;
	Developing, evaluating, and improving tools, methods, and guidance to prevent and control disease;
	Developing and assessing drugs and treatment strategies; and
	Disseminating and implementing public health tools, programs, and collaborations to prevent, detect, diagnose, and respond to threats.**Federal Government to Develop New Approaches to the Threat**

Vector-borne diseases are a global threat, with national security, economic, and health implications for the United States. As the federal government continues to proactively strengthen its response to this threat, HHS and CDC plan to develop future iterations of the VBD National Strategy with opportunities for public engagement.

Read the VBD National Strategy.
  

    ###
    Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other news materials are available at https://www.hhs.gov/news.Like HHS on Facebook, follow HHS on Twitter @HHSgov, and sign up for HHS Email Updates.Last revised: February 6, 2024

  
  
  







  Sign Up for Email Updates

Receive the latest updates from the Secretary, Blogs, and News Releases

Sign Up







  Subscribe to RSS
    

      Receive latest updates







  Related News Releases
    

      HHS Assistant Secretary for Health ADM Rachel Levine Statement Marking the 2-year Anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act and its Benefits to the Climate and Health Sector
  

HHS Marks Farmworker Appreciation Day; Expands Language Access and Increases Support for Workplace Evaluations, Clinician Education, and More
  

Biden-Harris Administration Announces More Than $68 Million to Improve Access to HIV Care for Women, Infants, Children and Youth







  Related Blog Posts
    

      Change Story: Director Reginald Mebane
  

Honoring Lyme Disease Awareness Month with a Multi-Year Plan to Change the Lyme Disease Status Quo
  

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Is Taking Action to Strengthen Primary Care

                    
  


Media Inquiries

For general media inquiries, please contact media@hhs.gov.







  Content created by Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH) Content last reviewed February 6, 2024 Back to top
    Contact HHS
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      Careers
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      HHS FAQs
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      Nondiscrimination NoticeHHS Archive
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      Accessibility Statement
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      Privacy Policy
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      Viewers & PlayersBudget/Performance
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      Inspector General
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      Web Site Disclaimers
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      EEO/No Fear ActFOIA
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      The White House
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      USA.gov
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      Vulnerability Disclosure Policy
        Sign Up for Email Updates

Receive the latest updates from the Secretary, Blogs, and News Releases.

Sign Up
  HHS Headquarters
          200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
                  Washington, D.C. 20201
                  Toll Free Call Center: 1-877-696-6775​ Disclaimer Policy: Links with this icon () mean that you are leaving the HHS website. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) cannot guarantee the accuracy of a non-federal website.
                  Linking to a non-federal website does not mean that HHS or its employees endorse the sponsors, information, or products presented on the website. HHS links outside of itself to provide you with further information.
                  You will be bound by the destination website's privacy policy and/or terms of service when you follow the link.
                  HHS is not responsible for Section 508 compliance (accessibility) on private websites. For more information on HHS's web notification policies, see Website Disclaimers.
 Continue
                  Go back