The Rabies Laboratory, located at the Wadsworth Center’s Griffin Laboratory in Guilderland, provides New York State with rabies-related laboratory services. Testing performed by the laboratory includes:
Additional studies involve:
The Wadsworth Center Parasitology Laboratory is the New York State public health reference laboratory for parasitic infections. Laboratory responsibilities include:
Scientists in the Parasitology Laboratory also pursue research questions while collaborating with colleagues both inside the NYSDOH and with outside universities and private laboratories.
The Mycology Laboratory serves as a comprehensive reference facility for all NYSDOH licensed clinical laboratories including: hospitals, academic medical centers, county health departments and commercial laboratories.
The laboratory houses a fungal culture collection repository, an outstanding resource for assay development, distribution and sale.
Around the world, tuberculosis is responsible for over one million deaths per year. The recent emergence of multi- and extensively drug resistant strains (MDR and XDR, respectively) represents a threat to public health worldwide, particularly when associated with HIV.
The Bloodborne Viruses Laboratory (BVL) focuses on clinical and public health laboratory activities related to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV). The BVL is involved in a wide range of testing, surveillance, and applied research activities. Laboratory services include:
The Wadsworth Center Bacteriology Laboratory serves as the New York State public health reference laboratory for bacterial identification and research. The laboratory is responsible for the identification of bacterial pathogens of public health significance as well as collaboration with New York State and New York City epidemiologists across multiple areas. The laboratory is involved in a wide range of testing, surveillance, and applied research activities.
Arbovirus is a term used to refer to a group of viruses that are transmitted by arthropod vectors. New York is host to a number of endemic mosquito-borne arboviruses which include West Nile virus introduced in 1999, Eastern equine encephalitis virus, Jamestown Canyon virus, La Crosse virus, Trivittatus virus, South River virus, Potosi virus, Cache Valley virus and Highlands J virus. New York is also home to the tick-borne Powassan and Deer Tick viruses.
More than 350 facilities are approved by the department to provide blood services. One and a quarter million blood components are prepared annually. Approximately 90% of the blood is collected at blood centers, with the remainder collected by approximately about a dozen hospitals and a small number of independent facilities.
Informational materials on blood services, including guidelines and recommendations, are developed and made available to the public and to regulated parties as appropriate. The Program monitors errors and accidents involving blood for transfusion.
The New York State Department of Health Physician Office Laboratory Evaluation Program (POLEP), under contract with the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), is responsible for managing activities related to administration of the federal program implementing the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment of 1988 (CLIA) for physician office laboratories (POL) throughout New York.
CLIA federal regulations apply unless the State has enacted laws relating to laboratory requirements that are equal to, or more stringent than, CLIA requirements.