# Public health laboratory

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
* Environmental Laboratory 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