The department of Veterinary Microbiology was one of the six composite departments that were initially established to start the Veterinary College in July 1986. The department had four major disciplines at that time i.e. Veterinary Microbiology & Immunology, Veterinary Pathology, Veterinary  Parasitology and Veterinary Epidemiology and Public Health. Later on, an independent Department of Veterinary Microbiology & Immunology was created w.e.f. 1.7.1991.                                          

            Since 1992, this has department attained the status of a post-graduate department to the M.V.Sc. level and from 2005 to the Ph.D. level. The main objectives of the department are to impart training to undergraduate (B.V.Sc. & A.H.) as well as postgraduate students in the field of Veterinary Microbiology that comprises general and systematic studies of microbes, their immunological and biotechnological studies, experimental animal studies and prevention and control of infectious agents. The department has well equipped Bacteriology, Virology, Mycology, Immunology and Molecular Microbiology laboratories for undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and research work. Till the year 2021-22, 51 M.V.Sc. and 04 Ph.D. students have completed their degrees in Veterinary Microbiology.

            The Animal Disease Investigation and Research Laboratory (ADIRL) of the department provides services of investigating animal disease outbreaks of various infectious diseases/ conditions in Himachal Pradesh, CST profiling of infectious agents and consultancies about treatment, prevention and control of livestock disease to farmers and field veterinary staff. The department has developed research excellence in niche areas like animal chlamydiosis, fish diseases, pasteurellosis and vector borne infectious diseases. The department has completed 23 research projects worth 6.26 crores from various agencies like USDA, DBT, DST, NATP, ICAR, NAIP, NICRA and Dabur Ayurvet Pvt. Limited and currently 05 projects are in operation.