WSLH News

September 22, 2017Webinar – WisCon: Helping Workers by Helping Small BusinessesThe WisCon Onsite Safety and Health Consultation Program helps small businesses in Wisconsin provide safe and healthy workplaces for their employees. The OSHA-funded program is free for the business and WisCon assists about 300 businesses each year, influencing the working conditions of about 10,000 employees. During fiscal year 2016, WisCon consultants identified and verified correction […]

September 13, 2017Fighting Antibiotic Resistance in the MidwestOn August 1 – 2, 2017, the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene (WSLH) hosted laboratorians and epidemiologists from five Midwest states and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as well as program staff from the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL), for the first annual Antibiotic Resistance Laboratory Network (ARLN) Midwest Regional Meeting. […]

September 1, 2017Three WSLH Staffers Added to Pringle Award Roll of HonorThree WSLH staffers have been added to the Pringle Award Roll of Honor by University of Wisconsin-Madison University Staff Shared Governance. Shannon Kelly in WSLH Proficiency Testing, Shauna Minick in Forensic Toxicology and Katy Penland in Newborn Screening were all nominated for the Elizabeth S. Pringle Award. Ms. Pringle worked for retired UW-Madison Professor Joel […]

August 29, 2017Concerns about Deaths Lead to Manure Storage Risk PublicationConcerns about deaths occurring near manure storage and handling systems led University of Wisconsin-Madison and University of Wisconsin-Extension Cooperative Extension scientists to develop a publication about “Reducing Risks from Manure Storage Agitation Gases.” The authors led by UW Biological Systems Engineering Assistant Professor Rebecca Larson and including Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene Director and UW […]

August 25, 2017Labor Day Holiday HoursThe Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene (WSLH) Specimen Receiving Departments will be open for deliveries on Saturday, September 2nd, as usual. In observance of the Labor Day holiday, all WSLH units EXCEPT NEWBORN SCREENING will be closed on Monday, September 4th. Please see hours of operation by location below. As always, if there is an […]

July 19, 2017Herpes Simplex Virus PCR Testing ChangeThe WSLH has discontinued Herpes Simplex Virus PCR (CSF) – test code VR01705. We will continue performing Herpes Simplex Virus PCR [Genital/Dermal] – test code VR01704. If you have any questions, please call our Customer Service staff at 800-862-1013, Monday-Friday 7:45 AM – 4:30 PM.

July 11, 2017Chromosomal Microarray Analysis (CMA) for Hematological MalignanciesUW Cytogenetic Services and Molecular Genetics is now offering a chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) for hematological malignancies CMA analysis provides a high resolution, genome-wide assessment of copy number variants (gains and losses) and copy neutral loss of heterozygosity (cn-LOH) recurrent in hematological malignancies. CMA is recommended for individuals with a new diagnosis or suspected diagnosis […]

July 6, 2017Bowles and Warshauer Honored By APHLTwo Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene (WSLH) scientists – Erin Bowles MT (ASCP) and Dr. Dave Warshauer, PhD, D(ABMM) – were honored at the recent Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) annual meeting in Providence, RI. Bowles, the Wisconsin Clinical Laboratory Network (WCLN) coordinator and co-biosafety officer at the WSLH, received the Emerging Leader Award. […]

June 30, 2017Wisconsin Begins Pompe Newborn Screening PilotStarting in July 2017, Wisconsin will begin screening for Pompe disease as part of a federally funded newborn screening pilot program. The pilot is an outcome of a 2013 recommendation by the national Advisory Committee on Heritable Disorders in the Newborn and Child (ACHDNC) that Pompe screening be added to state newborn screening panels. As […]

June 27, 2017July 4th Holiday HoursIn observance of the holiday, the WSLH will be closed on Tuesday, July 4th. We will NOT be receiving specimens on July 4th. The WSLH will be open on Monday, July 3rd and Wednesday, July 5th. Specimen Receiving Department hours are listed below. As always, if there is an emergency, please call the WSLH Emergency […]

June 21, 2017Reverse Algorithm for Syphilis Diagnosis – Testing AnnouncementEffective August 1, 2017 the WSLH will implement the “reverse” algorithm for the diagnosis of syphilis. This will change the way testing is performed and charged. The traditional syphilis testing algorithm starts with a non-treponemal test (e.g. VDRL, RPR), followed by a treponemal test (e.g. FTA, TP-PA) if the non-treponemal test is reactive. With the […]

June 6, 2017Solving a Bacterial Riddle – One Gene at a TimeIn 2015 and 2016, the bacteria Elizabethkingia anopheles caused an outbreak in Wisconsin that is still unsolved. But an international scientific collaboration to examine the bacteria’s genomic history gives an answer to one part of the mystery – the 63 people sickened in Wisconsin were all exposed to the same novel strain of bacteria. Testing […]

June 2, 2017International Influenza Laboratory TrainingThe WSLH Communicable Disease Division (CDD) hosted four visiting scientists from Bosnia and Herzegovina as part of an international influenza mentorship program to provide technical assistance to countries to strengthen laboratory management systems and capacity, and enhance Biosafety and Quality Assurance programs using a step-wise approach. The program is also intended to foster technical partnerships […]

June 2, 2017Exercising our Chemical Emergency Response CapabilitiesThe WSLH Chemical Emergency Response (CER) Unit participated in a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) exercise over the course of two weeks in late April and early May. The WSLH is one of only 10 Level 1 chemical emergency response labs in the country and serves a surge capacity lab for CDC. The […]

June 2, 2017Rotating Equipment Repair Remains SHARPRotating Equipment Repair, Inc., (RER) provides repairs, parts and field service to the high-end energy pump market. Located in Sussex, Wis., RER received their fifth SHARP recertification from OSHA and the WSLH Onsite Safety and Health Consultation Program (WisCon). RER first received SHARP status in 2009. Their current re-certification lasts until May 8, 2020. SHARP […]

June 2, 2017Webinar: HPV – The Virus, the Test, the VaccineHPV has been around since people have been having people. A mummy with a large abdominal mass was found to be positive for HPV 16. We also know that HPV 16 has played an important role for the current standards of stem cells and cancer research because of the HeLa cell line and Henrietta Lacks. […]

May 19, 2017Memorial Day Holiday HoursThe Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene (WSLH) Specimen Receiving Departments will be open for deliveries on Saturday, May 27, as usual. In observance of the Memorial Day holiday, the WSLH will be closed on Monday, May 29. Please see hours of operation by location below. As always, if there is an emergency, please call the […]

May 4, 2017Heroin and Other Opioids in WisconsinWisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene (WSLH) Forensic Toxicologist Lori Edwards gave a UW Wednesday Nite @ the Lab talk on April 19th on the topic of “Heroin and Other Opioids: A Wisconsin Epidemic?”. Her presentation covered the current issues and trends associated with heroin and other opioids in Wisconsin, including the history of the opium […]

April 20, 2017New Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene Director NamedThis story originally appeared in University of Wisconsin-Madison News James Schauer, a faculty member with the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and director of the Water Science and Engineering Laboratory at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, has been named director of the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene. “I am proud to have been part of […]

April 14, 2017Webcast: Environmental Forensics: Adventures in Plasma Mass SpectrometryWisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene (WSLH) Research Scientist Dr. Martin Shafer gave a UW Wednesday Nite @ the Lab talk on the topic of “Environmental Forensics: Adventures in Plasma Mass Spectrometry” featuring the WSLH Trace Elements Clean Lab. Dr. Shafer discussed the theory and practice of plasma mass spectrometry through case studies in which WSLH […]

April 14, 2017WSLH Science News Round-UpHere are some items of note from Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene (WSLH) scientists from the past few months – Newborn Screening Receives New Disorders Implementation Award The WSLH Newborn Screening Laboratory received a New Disorders Implementation Award from the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL). The award provides funding for the WSLH to […]

April 12, 2017WOHL Microbiologist Facilitates Development of International Test MethodWisconsin Occupational Health Laboratory (WOHL) Advanced Microbiologist Terri Williams facilitated the development of a new ASTM International test method that will help laboratories identify mold from tape lift samples. Tape lift samples are sometimes used as part of occupational health and air quality investigations. The method was developed by ASTM International’s committee on air quality. […]

March 17, 2017OSHA Success Story: Schoeneck Containers’ Passion for SafetySchoeneck Containers, Inc. (SCI), a plastic container manufacturer in New Berlin, Wis., is featured as a “Small Business Success Story” by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA). The story highlights the collaboration between SCI staffers and expert consultants from Wisconsin’s Onsite Safety and Health Consultation Program (WisCon) to improve SCI’s safety and health culture. […]

March 17, 2017Edstrom Industries Stays SHARP with WisCon’s HelpEdstrom Industries, Inc., a producer of laboratory and agricultural animal watering solutions and environmental monitoring in Waterford, Wis., received their fifth SHARP recertification from OSHA and the WSLH Onsite Safety and Health Consultation Program (WisCon). Edstrom first received SHARP status in 2004 and have recertified that status every three years since. Their current recertification lasts […]

February 20, 2017Science Day at the WSLHScience Day 2017 on Thursday, March 2nd will feature a wide variety of presentations from Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene (WSLH) and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) staff covering topics in environmental science, communicable disease, forensic toxicology, newborn screening, and occupational health. Science Day will be held at the WSLH’s laboratory at 2601 Agriculture […]

February 1, 2017New Trichomonas vaginalis Nucleic Acid Amplification TestThe WSLH Communicable Disease Division has added a Trichomonas vaginalis NAAT test. Vaginal infections caused by Trichomonas vaginalis are among the most common conditions transmitted sexually.1 It is estimated that in the United States 7.4 million new cases of trichomoniasis occur annually compared with 3 million cases of chlamydia and 718,000 cases of gonorrhea.2 Trichomoniasis […]

January 25, 2017WSLH Webinar: Radon – The Silent KillerYou can’t see it, you can’t smell it, you can’t taste it, it could kill you – and it may be a problem in your home. What is it? Radon. In this January 25, 2017 webinar, WSLH Radiochemistry Supervisor Tracy Hanke talks about this natural (radioactive) breakdown of uranium in soil, rock and water that […]

January 10, 2017Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Holiday SchedulePlease note the following changes to the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene’s operations due to the observance of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day holiday. The table below lists the hours of operations for our Clinical Specimen Receiving departments. We will have staffing to accept clinical specimens at both our 2601 Agriculture Drive and our […]

December 19, 2016Worker Fatalities Increase in Wisconsin for 2015According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, there were 104 Wisconsin workers who died due to injury in 2015. This number reflects an increase from 99 fatalities in 2014. Wisconsin’s overall fatality rate also increased from 3.5 to 3.6 deaths per 100,000. The number of workplace deaths in Wisconsin the […]

December 14, 2016Toxicology Updates: OWI samples accepted and Dane County Roadside Oral Fluid Project UpdateThe Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene Forensic Toxicology section provides alcohol and drug testing for law enforcement agencies in Wisconsin for traffic safety and other motor vehicle matters (boats, ATVs and snowmobiles) in support of Wisconsin’s impaired driving laws. OWI Samples On Dec. 7, 2016, the toxicology section issued reminder guidance to law enforcement […]

December 6, 20162016 Holiday SchedulePlease note the following changes to the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene’s operations due to the observance of the Christmas and New Year’s holidays. The table below lists the hours of operations for our Clinical Specimen Receiving department. We will have staffing to accept clinical specimens at both our 2601 Agriculture Drive and our 465 […]

December 1, 2016Answering “Why” When Someone Suddenly Dies: Genetic Testing Pilot Project for Sudden Cardiac DeathsThe situation is terrifying. A seemingly healthy person suddenly collapses – unconscious – and tragically dies from cardiac arrest. Family members in their grief ask “Why?” and maybe even “Can it happen to us too?” A pilot project between the University of Wisconsin Collaborative Genomics Core (UWCGC) and University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics (UWHC) […]

November 14, 2016Thanksgiving Holiday HoursThe Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene will observe the following hours of operation for the Thanksgiving holiday: 2601 Agriculture Drive DATE HOURS Thursday, 11/24, Thanksgiving Day Closed Friday, 11/25 6 AM-4:30 PM Saturday, 11/26 6:30 AM-2:30 PM 465 Henry Mall DATE HOURS Thursday, 11/24, Thanksgiving Day Closed Friday, 11/25 6 AM-4:30 PM Saturday, […]

November 4, 2016Tracing the isotopic signature of lead – Is it bullets, water or paint?Tracing the isotopic signature of lead (Pb) in both an adult who had bullet fragments embedded in his leg for 10 years and his young child who also had elevated blood lead levels (BLL) is the subject of a recent paper in Biological Trace Element Research. The paper is the first resulting from isotopic analyses […]

November 3, 2016Wisconsin Nonfatal Work Injuries Decline in 2015According to estimates from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), there were 78,800 total injuries and illnesses reported by Wisconsin employers in 2015, which occurred at a rate of 3.6 cases per 100 equivalent full-time workers. This is a decline from 4.0 in 2013 and 2014. Nationwide, the […]

October 17, 2016Test. Fix. Save a Life. – Radon Awareness WeekDid you know the 2nd leading cause of lung cancer is an odorless, colorless, radioactive gas? It’s called radon and it can be found in up to 10% of the homes in Wisconsin at levels above the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guideline. And the only way to find it is to test for it. […]

October 3, 2016WSLH Communicable Disease Division MovingEffective October 10, 2016, the WSLH Communicable Disease Division will be located at the WSLH’s laboratory facility at 2601 Agriculture Drive, Madison. On or after October 10, 2016, please mail and/or deliver clinical specimens as follows: WSLH Unit Address Communicable Disease Division (Rabies, surveillance, emergency response, outbreak, etc.) 2601 Agriculture Drive, P.O. Box […]

October 3, 2016CDC Designates WSLH an Antibiotic Resistance Regional LabThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has designated the WSLH Communicable Disease Division (WSLH CDD) an Antibiotic Resistance (AR) Regional Lab for the Midwest Region. The WSLH is just 1 of 7 AR Regional Labs nationwide and will provide testing for Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky. According to the CDC, […]

September 30, 2016Water, Public Health and the WSLH’s Early HistoryThe Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene’s (WSLH) early history is recounted in an article in the summer 2016 issue of the Wisconsin Magazine of History. The article focuses on how changing beliefs about water and public health influenced the founding of the state’s public health laboratory at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1903. For more […]

June 21, 2016Flowing Waters in GuatemalaBy Dr. Pat Gorski, WSLH Environmental Health Division As a member of the American Water Works Association (AWWA), I have long noticed that the Wisconsin chapter has a committee — Wisconsin Water for the World — that works to provide resources for safe drinking water and improved sanitation to people in developing communities throughout the […]

June 7, 2016Family Stories Tell Hope-Filled Tales of Newborn ScreeningOf the 65,000 babies born in Wisconsin each year, about 135 will have one of the 44 rare, serious disorders screened for by the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene Newborn Screening Laboratory. The stories of some of those babies are shared in our Family Stories section. Read all about them at http://www.slh.wisc.edu/clinical/newborn/family-stories/

June 2, 2016Powassan virus and Jamestown Canyon virus added to Arbovirus IgM Antibody PanelPowassan virus (POWV) and Jamestown Canyon virus (JCV) have been added to the WSLH Arbovirus IgM Antibody Panel. This panel already includes testing for West Nile virus, La Crosse virus, Eastern equine encephalitis virus, and St. Louis encephalitis virus IgM antibodies. The test panel uses a qualitative IgM capture ELISA to detect antibodies against these […]

May 18, 2016DHS Confirms First Case of Zika Virus in WisconsinWisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) health officials announced on May 18, 2016, a Wisconsin resident has a confirmed case of Zika virus infection. The individual who tested positive is a woman who recently traveled to Honduras, where Zika-infected mosquitoes are present. Testing was performed at the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene. As of May […]

May 10, 2016Michele Smith Receives National Cytotechnology AwardUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison and WSLH Cytotechnology Certificate Program Director Michele Smith received the 2016 President’s Award from the American Society for Cytotechnology (ASCT) for both her exceptional service to ASCT and to the field of cytotechnology. Michele has served as ASCT Program Chair for several years and became the 2016-2017 ASCT President at the April […]

April 29, 2016What’s an Emerging Infectious Disease?The Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) has produced this short animated video explaining emerging infectious diseases and the role of the public health laboratory in their detection. https://vimeo.com/164152250

April 14, 2016Baker Named Wynne Mateffy Professor to Research Peroxisomal Biogenesis DisordersWSLH Newborn Screening Laboratory Co-Director Dr. Mei Baker has been promoted to full professor in the UW Department of Pediatrics and also was named the inaugural Wynne Mateffy Professor of Peroxisomal Disorders. The Wynne Mateffy endowed professorship supports UW Department of Pediatrics faculty who conduct research on peroxisome biogenesis-related metabolic disorders. This endowed professorship was […]

April 13, 2016“It’s Still a Good Test” – Recreating 1880s water quality testingA short documentary the Madison Water Utility created about their history won Best Government Access Program at the Midwest Media Fest. WSLH Environmental Microbiology Director Dr. Sharon Long is featured in the video re-creating the experiment UW undergrad Magnus Swenson would have done in the 1880s to convince the people of Madison that the water […]

April 4, 2016Celebrate National Public Health WeekThe first week in April the U.S. celebrates National Public Health Week. This year’s theme is Healthiest Nation 2030. Since our founding 113 years ago at the University of Wisconsin, Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene (WSLH) scientists have worked hard to ensure that generations of Wisconsinites have healthier lives and a safe and healthy environment […]

March 25, 2016Hoping “Once” Turns into “Many” — Supporting Women’s Health Care in TanzaniaFor many of us, having a “once-in-a-lifetime” experience means just once in our lifetime. But Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene (WSLH) Cytology Laboratory Manager Erin McCarthy hopes that the time she spent in Tanzania in January and February will happen again and again. Erin spent a month in the East African country completing an internship […]

March 23, 2016WSLH Staff Named TB Elimination Champions by CDCWisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene (WSLH) mycobacteriology laboratory staff have been named TB Elimination Champions by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The honor comes as health agencies commemorate World TB Day on March 24th with a goal of ending tuberculosis (TB) worldwide. CDC developed the TB Elimination Champions program “… to recognize […]