The University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health Department of Pediatrics recently profiled Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene Newborn Screening Director and Professor of Pediatrics Dr. Mei Baker.

In recounting Dr. Baker’s career at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the article also traces the advancements of the Wisconsin Newborn Screening Laboratory. Article link

 

Assistant Professor Heather Barkholtz holds a unique joint appointment with the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Pharmacy and the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene Forensic Toxicology section.

The UW-Madison Pharmacy School recently published an article detailing Dr. Barkholtz’s efforts “… to expand the limited research on drug impairment and develop better tools of detection for illegal substances. That would help both law enforcement and her colleagues at WSLH, the state’s public health laboratory that processes nearly 90 percent of samples from impaired drivers statewide.” Article link

 

Please note the following changes to the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene’s operations for the Labor Day holiday.

As always, if you have an off-hours emergency, please call the WSLH Emergency Pager at 608-263-3280.

 

CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen toured the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene’s Agriculture Drive facility on August 16th. The WSLH is the first state public health laboratory Dr. Cohen has visited since becoming CDC Director in July.

While at the WSLH Dr. Cohen learned more about the WSLH’s role in emergency response, PFAS testing, wastewater surveillance for COVID-19 and other pathogens, and the WSLH’s expansive role in communicable disease testing, surveillance and outbreak response.

Dr. Cohen was visiting the state as part of the Wisconsin Department of Health Services’ efforts to encourage childhood immunizations.

Here are some scenes from her visit – (Photo credit: Jeremy Gehler, WI Department of Health Services)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Wisconsin Newborn Screening program will begin a newborn screening for X-Linked Adrenoleukodystrophy (X-ALD) demonstration project on September 20, 2023.

Information for Primary Care Providers

Information for Parents

The Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene’s 2022-2023 annual report – Transforming Challenges, Finding Solutions – is now available.

The report traces the continuum of the WSLH’s COVID-19 pandemic response activities – past, present and future – including genomic sequencing of variants, tracking disease through wastewater, and helping businesses protect their workers. The WSLH’s PFAS activities – both routine testing and research – is explored, as well as our partnerships around opioid and drug abuse surveillance, newborn screening, soil science, and much more.

Read the annual report

Cannabinoids and opioids are two of the most commonly identified substance classes in Wisconsin’s impaired drivers. That said, these two classes of compounds are having profound impacts on our society, with shifting chemical structures and public perceptions.

UW-Madison Assistant Professor Heather Barkholtz gave a Brown Bag presentation for Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene staff about the increasing prevalence of cannabinoids and opioids in society and knowledge gaps surrounding their use. Specifically, Dr. Barkholtz discussed the field of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) isomers and efforts to better understand risks and protective factors associated with non-fatal overdoses.

Brown Bag recording

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has named the Wisconsin Wastewater Surveillance Program a National Center of Excellence for wastewater surveillance within the National Wastewater Surveillance System (NWSS). Wisconsin joins just three other CDC NWSS Centers of Excellence in the country.

The Wisconsin Wastewater Surveillance Program is a partnership between the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Freshwater Sciences. The Wisconsin Wastewater Surveillance Program was an early pioneer during the COVID-19 pandemic in developing and applying wastewater-based surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 and is recognized as a national leader in wastewater-based monitoring of human pathogens.

Community-focused wastewater surveillance is a cost-effective tool for public health practice. It involves looking for the presence of pathogens that people shed in sewage, whether or not they have symptoms, and measuring the pathogen levels over time. Individual testing is not required, and it does not depend on individual access to a healthcare or testing location.

By screening for pathogens in untreated wastewater at a given central wastewater treatment facility, wastewater surveillance can help determine whether infections are increasing or decreasing in the community served by that facility and provide early warning about the spread or prevalence of disease. This can help public health agencies engage in prevention efforts where they are most needed and complement other data that public health agencies collect with respect to disease spread.

Read more at University of Wisconsin-Madison’s News

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel: Everybody poops. Wisconsin is a national leader in using it to monitor public health.

On Wednesday, July 5, Governor Tony Evers signed the Wisconsin 2023-2025 Biennial Budget (2023 Wisconsin Act 19), which directed the Newborn Screening Card Fee to increase to $195.00 per card. The card fee increase is effective 7/11/2023.

An updated order form with the new price is available on our website at https://www.slh.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/230711_updated_NBS-FEE-ORDER-FORM_Fillable.pdf.

Please note the following changes to the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene’s operations for the July 4th holiday.

As always, if you have an off-hours emergency, please call the WSLH Emergency Pager at 608-263-3280.