Division of Bacterial Diseases (DBD)

Our Mission

The mission of the Division of Bacterial Diseases (DBD) is to prevent and control illness and death from vaccine-preventable and other respiratory bacterial diseases, in the U.S. and worldwide, through excellence in epidemiologic and laboratory science. This office within the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases plays a critical role in outbreak response, epidemiology, laboratory diagnosis and pathogen characterization, vaccine development, and control of respiratory and vaccine-preventable disease nationally and globally.

Our Priorities

• Improve detection, prevention, and control of respiratory and related invasive bacterial pathogens
• Accelerate development, introduction, and monitoring of bacterial vaccines domestically
• Accelerate development, introduction, and monitoring of bacterial vaccines globally

What We Do

The Division of Bacterial Diseases serves as the primary contact regarding bacterial respiratory and vaccine-preventable diseases. In addition to serving as experts in the area of bacterial respiratory and vaccine-preventable disease issues, we also:

• Assure the overall quality of the science relating to bacterial respiratory and vaccine-preventable disease
• Review, prepare, and coordinate congressional testimony and briefing documents related to these diseases, and analyze programmatic and policy implications of legislative proposals
• Advise CDC, OID, and NCIRD on policy matters concerning DBD programs and activities
• Provide statistical methodology and participate in outbreak investigations and disease reporting systems for ongoing surveillance
• Develop new methods or adapt existing methods for statistical applications in epidemiologic or laboratory research studies
• Provide statistical consultation for epidemiologic and laboratory research studies

DBD Organization Chart and Leadership Bios

• Organization Chart pdf icon[1 page] (text-only)txt icon Updated November 2020
• Leadership Bios
  • Kimberley Fox, MD, MPH – Director
  • Mark Biagioni, MPA – Associate Director for Program Management
  • Allen Craig, MD, FAAFP – Chief, Respiratory Diseases Branch
  • LeAnne Fox, MD – Chief, Meningitis and Vaccine Preventable Diseases Branch

Division Contact Information

• Bacterial diseases contacts

Division Topics

• Active Bacterial Core surveillance (ABCs)
• Chlamydia pneumoniae
• Diphtheria / Corynebacterium diphtheriae
  • Diphtheria vaccination
• Group A Streptococcal (GAS) Disease / group A Streptococcus
  • Necrotizing fasciitis
  • Post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis
  • Strep throat
  • Streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS)
  • Skin disease (impetigo, erysipelas, perianal strep, cellulitis)
  • Scarlet fever
  • Rheumatic fever
• Group B Streptococcal (GBS) Disease / group B Streptococcus
• Haemophilus influenzae disease (including Hib)
  • Hib vaccination
• Legionellosis / Legionella
  • Legionnaires’ disease
  • Pontiac fever
• Meningococcal disease / Neisseria meningitidis
  • Meningococcal vaccination
• Mycoplasma pneumoniae
• Pertussis / Bordetella pertussis
  • Pertussis vaccination
• Pneumococcal disease / Streptococcus pneumoniae
  • Pneumococcal vaccination
• Pneumonia
  • World Pneumonia Dayexternal icon
• Psittacosis / Chlamydophila psittaci
• Tetanus / Clostridium tetani
  • Tetanus vaccination
• Unexplained Respiratory Disease Outbreaks (URDO)

Outbreak Resources

• Meningococcal Disease Outbreaks
• Pertussis Outbreaks
• Unexplained Respiratory Disease Outbreaks