The mission of the Veterinary Public Health Section (VPHS) is to protect Californians from animal-borne diseases through the surveillance, investigation, prevention, and control of zoonotic diseases--infectious diseases shared between people and animals.  

VPHS administers statutory programs for 1) rabies surveillance and control, 2) wild animal importation permitting and quarantine, and 3) pet bird/psittacosis investigation and prevention. VPHS provides consultation to local health officers, directors of environmental health, animal control agencies, healthcare providers, veterinarians, and the general public on pet importation, rabies control, psittacosis, and other issues where human and veterinary health interface. VPHS assists local public health departments in the investigation, control, and prevention of zoonotic diseases, including rabies, brucellosis, and Q fever. VPHS is organized within the Infectious Diseases Branch of the Division of Communicable Disease Control.    ​