Public health laboratories (PHLs) or National Public Health Laboratories (NPHL) are governmental reference laboratories that protect the public against diseases and other health hazards. The 2005 International Health Regulations came into force in June 2007, with 196 binding countries that recognised that certain public health incidents, extending beyond disease, ought to be designated as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), as they pose a significant global threat. The PHLs serve as national hazard detection centres, and forward these concerns to the World Health Organization.
International accreditation In 2007, Haim Hacham et al. published a paper addressing the need for and the process of international standardised accreditation for laboratory proficiency in Israel. With similar efforts, both the Japan Accreditation Board for Conformity Assessment (JAB) and the European Communities Confederation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (EC4) have validated and convened ISO 15189 Medical laboratories — Requirements for quality and competence, respectively.
In 2006, Spitzenberger and Edelhäuser expressed concerns that ISO accreditation may include obstacles arising from new emerging medical devices and the new approach of assessment; in so doing, they indicate the time dependence of standards.
Africa WHO-Afro HIV/AIDS Laboratory Network East African Laboratory Network African Society for Laboratory Medicine National Public Health Laboratory (Sudan)
Canada Canadian Public Health Laboratory Network
Europe European Union Reference Laboratories cf. Commission Regulation (EC) No 776/2006 and Commission Regulation (EC) No 882/2004 EpiSouth Network
United Kingdom The Public Health Laboratory Service (PHLS) was established as part of the National Health Service in 1946. An Emergency Public Health Laboratory Service was established in 1940 as a response to the threat of bacteriological warfare. There was originally a central laboratory at Colindale and a network of regional and local laboratories. By 1955 there were about 1000 staff. These laboratories were primarily preventive with an epidemiological focus. They were, however, in some places located with hospital laboratories which had a diagnostic focus.
The PHLS was replaced by the Health Protection Agency in 2003; the HPA was disbanded and in its stead was constituted Public Health England, which later became the UK Health Security Agency in 2021.
United States United States laboratory networks and organizations Association of Public Health Laboratories Laboratory Response Network (CDC) PulseNet (CDC) Integrated Consortium of Laboratory Networks Food Emergency Response Network
Council to Improve Foodborne Outbreak Response
US State Public Health Laboratories + State Public Health Laboratories in the United States Public Health Laboratory State Alabama Bureau of Clinical Laboratories Alabama Alaska Division of Public Health Laboratory Alaska American Samoa Health Department Laboratory American Samoa Arizona Bureau of State Laboratory Services Arizona Arkansas Public Health Laboratory Arkansas California Department of Public Health Laboratory California Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment Colorado Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation Northern Mariana Islands Delaware Public Health Laboratory Delaware District of Columbia Public Health Laboratory District of Columbia Dr. Katherine A. Kelley Public Health Laboratory Connecticut Florida Bureau of Public Health Laboratories Florida Georgia Public Health Laboratory Georgia Guam Public Health Laboratory Guam Hawaii State Laboratories Division Hawaii Idaho Bureau of Laboratories Idaho Illinois Department of Public Health Laboratory Illinois Indiana Public Health Laboratory Indiana Kansas Health & Environmental Laboratories Kansas Kentucky Division of Laboratory Service Kentucky Louisiana Public Health Laboratory Louisiana Maine State Health & Environmental Testing Laboratory Maine Maryland Laboratories Administration Maryland Massachusetts State Public Health Laboratory Massachusetts Michigan Public Health Laboratory Michigan Minnesota Public Health Laboratory Division Minnesota Mississippi Public Health Laboratory Mississippi Missouri State Public Health Laboratory Missouri Montana Laboratory Services Bureau Montana Nebraska Public Health Laboratory Nebraska Nevada State Public Health Laboratory Nevada New Hampshire Public Health Laboratories New Hampshire New Jersey Division of Public Health & Environmental Laboratories New Jersey New Mexico Department of Health New Mexico North Carolina State Laboratory of Public Health North Carolina North Dakota Division of Laboratory Services North Dakota Ohio Department of Health Laboratories Ohio Oklahoma Public Health Laboratory Oklahoma Oregon State Public Health Laboratory Oregon Pennsylvania State Public Health Laboratory Pennsylvania Puerto Rico Public Health Laboratory Puerto Rico Rhode Island State Health Laboratory Rhode Island South Carolina Bureau of Laboratories South Carolina South Dakota Public Health Laboratory South Dakota State Hygienic Laboratory at the University of Iowa Iowa Tennessee Department of Health Laboratory Services Tennessee Texas Department of State Health Services Texas Unified Utah State Laboratories: Public Health Utah United States Virgin Islands Department of Health U.S. Virgin Islands Vermont Department of Health Laboratory Vermont Virginia Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services Virginia Wadsworth Center New York Washington Public Health Laboratories Washington West Virginia Department of Health & Human Services West Virginia Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene Wisconsin Wyoming Public Health Laboratory Wyoming
US City and County Public Health Laboratories + City and County Public Health Laboratories in the United States Public Health Laboratory State Alameda County Public Health Laboratory CA Allegheny County Health Department Public Health Laboratory PA Brazos County Health District TX Butte County Public Health Laboratory CA Chicago Department of Public Health Laboratory IL City of Laredo Public Health Laboratory TX Contra Costa Regional Public Health Laboratory CA Corpus Christi - Nueces County Health Department Lab TX Dallas County Health and Human Services TX Denver Public Health Laboratory CO Eau Claire City-County Health Department WI El Paso City Department of Health Laboratory TX El Paso County Department of Health and Environment CO Erie County Public Health Laboratory NY Fairfax County Health Department Laboratory VA Fresno County Public Health Laboratory CA Genesee and Orleans County Health Department Laboratory NY Houston Public Health Laboratory TX Humboldt County Public Health Laboratory CA Kalamazoo County Health and Community Services, Public Health Laboratory MI Kern County Department of Public Health Laboratory CA Kings County Public Health Laboratory CA Lane County Department of Health and Human Services OR Laredo City Health Department TX LMAS Regional Laboratory KY Long Beach Public Health Laboratory CA Los Angeles County Public Health Laboratory CA Los Angeles County Public Health Laboratory CA Louisville Metro Health Department Laboratory KY Madera County Department of Public Health Laboratory CA Marion County Health Department Public Health Laboratory IN Merced County Public Health Laboratory CA Milwaukee City Health Department Bureau of Laboratories WI Monterey County Health Department Laboratory CA Napa-Solano-Yolo-Marin-Mendocino County Public Health Laboratory CA New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Bureau of Laboratories NY Orange County Public Health Laboratory CA Philadelphia Public Health Laboratories PA Public Health Laboratory of East Texas TX Public Health Laboratory of Northwest Michigan MI Riverside University Health System Public Health Laboratory CA Sacramento County Public Health Laboratory CA Saginaw County Department of Public Health Laboratory MI San Antonio Metro Health District Laboratory TX San Bernardino County Public Health Laboratory CA San Diego County Public Health Laboratory CA San Francisco Public Health Laboratory CA San Joaquin Public Health Services, Public Health Laboratory CA San Jose - Santa Clara Regional Wastewater Facility Laboratory CA San Luis Obispo County Public Health Department CA San Mateo County Public Health Department CA Santa Barbara County Public Health Laboratory CA Santa Clara County Public Health Laboratory CA Santa Cruz Public Health Laboratory CA Seattle - King County Public Health Laboratory WA Sonoma County Public Health Laboratory CA Southern Nevada Public Health Laboratory NV St. Louis County Environmental Health Laboratory MO Tarrant County Public Health Laboratory TX Texas Tech University Bioterrorism Response Laboratory TX Tulare County Public Health Laboratory CA Ventura County Public Health Laboratory CA Western Upper Peninsula Health Department MI
US State Environmental and Agriculture Laboratories
+US Environmental and Agriculture Laboratories Laboratory State Alaska Environmental Health Laboratory Alaska California Department of Toxic Substances Control California Colorado Department of Agriculture Laboratory Colorado Florida Bureau of Food Laboratories Florida Kansas Department of Agriculture, Division of Laboratories Kansas Kansas State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory Kansas Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection Massachusetts Minnesota Department of Agriculture Laboratory Minnesota Mississippi State Chemical Laboratory Mississippi Nebraska Public Health Environmental Laboratory Nebraska New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets New York North Carolina Department of Agriculture North Carolina Ohio EPA - Division of Environmental Services Ohio Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality Oklahoma Oregon Department of Agriculture, Laboratory Services Oregon Oregon Department of Environmental Quality Laboratory Oregon Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture - Bureau of Food Safety and Laboratory Services - Laboratory Division Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Laboratories Pennsylvania Washington State Department of Agriculture Microbiology Laboratory Washington West Virginia Department of Agriculture West Virginia Wyoming Department of Agriculture, Analytical Services Wyoming
Other international laboratory networks WHO Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System WHO H5 Reference Laboratories WHO Emerging and Dangerous Pathogens Laboratory Network
See also Association of Public Health Laboratories ISO 9000 ISO 15189 ISO/IEC 17025
References