Deck 29: Public Health Labs

Question 1

From the 1980s to the present, public health laboratories have been on the frontline of efforts to detect and characterize emerging infectious diseases. Describe some of the infectious diseases that have been detected.

Answer 1

Infectious diseases that were mentioned by the authors include: HIV, hantavirus, West Nile virus, SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome), influenza strains H5N1 and H7N9, MERS-CoV (Middle Eastern respiratory syndrome coronavirus), Ebola, and anthrax attacks.

Question 2

In the United States, laboratory facilities are designated as Biosafety Level (BSL) 1, 2, 3, or 4 according to safety practice guidelines and standards, and guidelines for air handling systems and construction. Describe the fundamental differences between these four designations.

Answer 2

The descriptions should include the following:
a. BSL-1 laboratories are small laboratory areas set aside in a physician's office or in a small clinic.
b. BSL-2 laboratories are discrete laboratory areas, either stand-alone facilities or within larger buildings. Access to the laboratory is restricted.
c. BSL-3 laboratories require special construction. They are laboratory rooms within the laboratory.
d. BSL-4 facilities are those whose workers are outfitted with self-contained suits connected to an independent air supply.

Question 3

Public health laboratories have come to increasingly rely on laboratory information management systems (LIMS). Describe the advantages of this management system.

Answer 3

These systems can take data directly from the instrumentation that is used for testing and, in addition to providing results, provide the quality assurance information needed to initiate results reporting and package the data for the initial laboratory analysis performed before a report is issued.