Whole genome sequencing has the potential to revolutionize influenza vaccines. It also generates lots and lots of data.

In late July, representatives from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and GenoLogics trained Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene (WSLH) scientists on the CLARITY laboratory information management system (LIMS).

CLARITY is the LIMS used as part of a 3-year CDC-funded project at the WSLH to pilot Next Generation whole genome sequencing of influenza viruses submitted for surveillance from Wisconsin and other states.

The CLARITY LIMS will maintain and monitor quality assurance throughout the whole genome sequencing and data transfer process to CDC. GenoLogics developed the CLARITY LIMS.

Genetic characterization of influenza viruses is important both for monitoring genetic drift (how the virus may be changing) and for selecting the virus strains to include in influenza vaccines. Next generation sequencing of influenza viruses in state public health laboratories could potentially shave months off the vaccine development process.

The WSLH is the first state public health laboratory in the country to collaborate with the CDC on this cutting-edge technology. The WSLH has been 1 of 3 CDC-designated Influenza Reference Public Health Labs since 2009.

The Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) is coordinating and facilitating the pilot project for CDC.

 

More Information: APHL/CDC Pilot Trumps WGS File Size for Fast Exchange of Flu Data

A National Parks Service research project monitoring environmental contaminants via testing baby eagles’ blood and feathers was featured in a June 8th Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel article.

Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene (WSLH) at UW-Madison scientists provide testing for this project.

The WSLH Organic Chemistry Section tests the eaglets’ blood for contaminants such as PCBs, PFCs, pesticides, flame retardants and other industrial chemicals, while the Clinical Metals Section tests the blood samples for lead.

Eaglet feathers are tested for lead in the Trace Elements Clean Laboratory and for mercury in the Metals Lab.

From the story –

 

The WSLH Forensic Toxicology Section is featured in a quick video produced by the University of Wisconsin-Madison Office of Classified Staff.

Learn how WSLH Toxicology staff test for alcohol and drugs in allegedly impaired drivers and help medical examiners and coroners in death investigations.

Video link

The Electronic Laboratory Reporting (ELR) system at the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene (WSLH) is featured in the latest issue of the Association of Public Health Laboratories Lab Matters magazine.

ELR involves sending laboratory test result information electronically rather than via paper reports. This speeds up the ability for public health departments to respond to potential disease outbreaks.

The WSLH has established ELR for test results from Wisconsin patients with reportable conditions such as measles, TB and E. coli O157:H7. The WSLH IT system is connected with systems at 52 hospital laboratories in Wisconsin and 5 national laboratories in order for those labs to send  test results to the WSLH.  Another 24 hospital labs in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Ohio send results via a secure web portal.

After being assigned identifier codes, these test results are sent via a secure system to the Wisconsin Electronic Disease Surveillance system (WEDSS), where staff at local health departments and the Wisconsin Division of Public Health (WDPH) can view the results and respond as needed to prevent further disease spread.

The WSLH also electronically reports results from tests it performs to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for a variety of infectious disease pathogens. This is part of efforts by WSLH, WDPH and CDC to monitor what may be sickening people and where.

It was through these surveillance efforts, that WSLH and WDPH staff discovered cases of “flumps” last year. The story is recounted in the article by Bill Bellini, chief of CDC’s Measles, Mumps, Rubella and Herpes Viruses Laboratory Branch.

 

Lab Matters ELR Story

Dr. George Papanicolaou was born on May 13, 1883, in Greece.  A pioneer in cytopathology and early cancer detection, Papanicolaou is most famous as the inventor of the “Pap smear” test to detect cervical cancer.

The Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene (WSLH) began offering Pap smear testing in the late 1940s after WSLH Medical Technologist Normal Arvold went to Cornell University Medical School to train with Papanicolaou himself.

Upon returning to Wisconsin, Arvold started the WSLH Cytology Unit and also the educational program now known as the University of Wisconsin-Madison Cytotechnology Certificate Program.

Arvold also helped train two WSLH Medical Directors in cytotechnology – current Medical Director Dr. Daniel Kurtycz and emeritus Medical Director Dr. Stanley Inhorn.

Every year on this date National Cytotechnology Day is celebrated to honor Dr. Papanicolaou and his contributions to medicine.

The WSLH Forensic Toxicology Team received a University of Wisconsin-Madison 2015 Administrative Improvement Award for their efforts to reduce turnaround time for impaired driver drug testing without compromising quality.

Increased demand for drug testing had caused average turnaround time to balloon from just over 60 days in 2003 to more than 260 days in 2012.

With process improvements put in place by the team, turnaround time for drug testing is now less than 60 days for 90% of samples. Importantly, law enforcement agencies that had decreased sending samples to the WSLH due to turnaround time delays have increased the number of samples they now send for testing.

The Administrative Improvement Awards recognize exceptional performance in UW-Madison administrative roles supporting academics, research, student services, outreach or administration. Emphasis is given to outstanding work that results in improved efficiency, increased revenue channels, cost savings or improved service delivery.

UW-Madison news story

With measles and mumps making headlines again, the efforts of Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene (WSLH) scientists to fight outbreaks of these and other vaccine preventable diseases (VPD) are featured in the latest report from the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL).

In 2012, the WSLH was designated as 1 of 4 vaccine preventable disease reference centers in the U.S. Funding and support for the work comes from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and APHL.

The VPD Reference Centers use CDC test methods to provide routine VPD testing capacity for other public health laboratories as well as surge capacity for CDC in case of a large-scale outbreak. The 4 centers (Wisconsin, Minnesota, California and New York) also use HL7 messaging to electronically send test results to CDC, strengthening public health informatics capability between state labs and the CDC.

The WSLH is not only performing viral and bacterial VPD testing for Wisconsin and 17 other state and local public health laboratories across the country, it is also the only VPD Reference Center providing test performance evaluation panels to public health laboratories so that they can assure the quality of their testing.

The work the WSLH performs as a VPD reference center enhances its surveillance and outbreak response capabilities in support of Wisconsin’s public health system.

APHL Vaccine Preventable Disease Annual Report (April 2015) 

APHL: VPD Reference Centers: Just in Time for Measles Outbreaks

The Wisconsin Newborn Screening Program has produced a training webinar on the Basics on Newborn Screening Specimen Collection and Submission.

The 60-minute webinar provides guidance on proper newborn screening specimen collection and submission.

The intended audience is nurses, midwives, phlebotomists, and all health care workers who participate in the newborn screening process.

This program is co-sponsored by ASCLS-WI which is approved as a provider of continuing education programs in the clinical laboratory sciences by the ASCLS P.A.C.E.® program. A total of 1.0 contact hours can be obtained by completing the training webinar. Level of Instruction: Intermediate

The webinar was produced with grant funding from the Association of Public Health Laboratories.

 

Additional Information

How to Collect a Blood Specimen for Newborn Screening Testing

Specimen Collection Flowchart 

Staff in the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene’s Occupational Health Division work every day to help keep workers safe.

Today – April 28, 2015 – the country takes a moment to remember all of those hard working people, who got up, went to work, but never came home because they died on the job.

In their memory, we rededicate ourselves to helping keep Wisconsin workers safe and healthy.

Presidential Proclamation for the Workers Memorial Day

More about WSLH Occupational Health Services