The state of public health laboratories

Abstract

Public health laboratories in the United States exist at the federal, state, and local level. The earliest laboratories were created in the late 1800s in the wake of the work of Robert Koch and Louis Pasteur. Currently, these laboratories make up a loosely formed network. The combined state portion of this network employs more than 6,000 staff members, tests more than 20 million specimens each year, and has a combined annual budget of more than $300 million. Public health laboratories are found in a variety of organizational settings. Several efforts have been made to define the roles of public health laboratories. Recently, the Association of Public Health Laboratories adopted a consensus position that has formally set forth the core functions, which include activities such as environmental testing, emergency response, surveillance, and reference services. Public health laboratories are being challenged with funding, new technology, and current issues such as bioterrorism, food safety, and antimicrobial resistance.