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About Public Health Laboratories

Public health laboratories keep our communities safe and healthy. Working at the federal, state and local level, they monitor and detect health threats, from viruses to environmental contaminants, genetic disorders in newborns to foodborne disease. Equipped with sophisticated equipment and highly trained scientists, they deliver services that protect our health, our food and our environment.

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PROTECT, DETECT, RESPOND

Protecting the Nation's Health

Strategically Located and Specialized

Every state, territory and the District of Columbia has a principal public health laboratory that performs laboratory services for the jurisdiction. Many states also have local public health laboratories, ranging in size from large metropolitan laboratories to smaller facilities that serve a region or community. Some laboratories specialize in one area of practice such as environmental health, food safety or agriculture. These facilities may not be formally called a public health laboratory, even though they perform complex testing and watch for health threats to keep all communities safe.

These highly specialized laboratories protect our lives daily.

Working at the federal, state and local level, public health laboratories monitor and detect health threats ranging from rabies and dengue fever to radiological contaminants, from genetic disorders in newborns to biological and chemical threats. Equipped with sophisticated instrumentation and staffed by highly trained scientists, these unique institutions deliver services that may be unavailable elsewhere.

Laboratory Response Partnerships and Networks

Public health laboratories—which also include environmental and agricultural laboratories—form the backbone of a national laboratory network on alert 24/7 to respond to new varieties of disease, natural disasters, chemical spills, foodborne disease outbreaks and other health emergencies. They collaborate closely in these efforts with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other federal agencies, including the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and US Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Public health laboratories also partner with international health entities to prevent and control health threats. For example, some state public health laboratories participate in a program that monitors circulating strains of influenza to inform selection of those to be included in the yearly flu shot.

In many states, public health laboratories regulate private clinical and environmental laboratories. State public health laboratories also conduct applied research, for example, to develop enhanced testing methods.

One World, One Health

Public Health Laboratories and One Health

One Health emphasizes the interconnections among human, animal and environmental health. Understanding these relationships is critical to mitigating the effects of diseases and other health threats.

Humans and animals interact with each other and their environment in ways that can change disease patterns and exacerbate health threats. For example, as humans develop new land, they contact displaced animals and organisms, increasing human exposure to zoonotic diseases. These zoonotic pathogens are the source of 70-75% of the emerging infectious diseases in humans. 

Public health laboratories conduct testing that crosses human, animal and environmental health domains. Many of these threats can lead to serious illness or death. Examples include:

Food Safety: Public health laboratories work to detect and control foodborne illness through PulseNet and the Food Emergency Response Network. Teams from human, animal and environmental backgrounds collaborate to solve foodborne outbreaks and prevent future occurrences to ensure our food is safe to eat.

Environmental Health: Environmental health programs at public health laboratories test for chemicals and other harmful contaminants that can affect humans, animals or the environment with dire consequences. Depending on the location, such a program might test well water, cosmetics, spices, algae or farm runoff for potential contamination.

Infectious Diseases: Public health laboratories conduct testing and surveillance for diseases that originate in animals. These include avian influenza (birds and geese), hantavirus (rodents) and arboviral diseases such as West Nile virus, encephalitis and malaria (mosquitos). Testing can lead to early detection and help prevent the spread of disease.