The 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 than 100 years, WSLH scientists and staff have worked to protect the people and environment of Wisconsin – putting the Wisconsin Idea into action every day.

 

 

 

 

By 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 world.

This past March, my wife Madeline and I finally decided to go on one of their service trips to a rural village in Guatemala (Tzay), which is near the city of Solola. WSLH retiree Archie Degnan also went on the trip. Our team also consisted of Rotary members from Kenosha, WI, and Florida. Although the team was there for two weeks, Madeline and I only went for the final week.

The project would not have been possible without prior work done by the village, which was coordinated by Lynn Roberts, an American who lives in Guatemala full-time, and a local engineer. We also greatly benefited by having two local interpreters, Leo and Jose, who spoke English, Spanish and the local Mayan dialect (K’iche’, or called “Ketchikan”).

This specific project collected spring water at the base of a hill into a large storage tank and then pumped it up to the top of a hill into a second large storage tank, which then gravity-fed the water to roughly 50 households. Typically, the village does not have dependable drinking water availability (only 30 minutes per day on average); therefore drinking water has to be physically hauled daily from the spring up to each house.

The storage tanks had to be built on-site with concrete and rebar, as well as concrete platforms for the household wash basins, which serve as the sole source of water for each house. All the trenches for piping had to be dug by hand, as well as connecting and laying the PVC pipe.

The project provided clean dependable drinking water for the village, but also proper drainage for used waste water. I was able to do on-site confirmatory testing of the drinking water for nitrate, coliform and E.coli bacteria.

The work was very satisfying and we felt much appreciated by the villagers, especially the kids, although we couldn’t speak much Spanish. It was a great reality adjustment to see how a large portion of the world lives and experience first-hand that not everyone can easily turn on a tap to get instantaneous drinking water.

The implementation team was a great group of people to work with. We definitely had to be very flexible in our daily expectations, but we successfully had water flowing to the taps by the end of the trip, followed by the entire village turning out for a wonderful celebration.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Of 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 https://www.slh.wisc.edu/clinical/newborn/family-stories/

Powassan 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 viruses.

Powassan virus (POWV) – In Wisconsin, POWV is a rare tick-borne infection transmitted by the bite of infected deer/black-legged ticks (Ixodes scapularis).  The first case of POWV was identified in Wisconsin in 2003. Only a handful of POWV cases are reported each year, but the disease is likely underreported because of the lack of routine laboratory testing. In 2013, 5 cases of POWV were identified, with 3 of those being neuro-invasive disease. Signs and symptoms include acute onset of fever, muscle weakness, confusion, headache, nausea, vomiting, and stiff neck.  Severe illness can include confusion, paralysis, speech difficulties, memory loss, and meningoencephalitis.

Jamestown Canyon virus (JCV) – JCV was first recognized as causing human illness in 1980 and rarely has been reported in Wisconsin. However, like POWV it is likely underreported because of the unavailability of laboratory tests to detect infection. In 2013, 22 cases were reported in the United States. JCV is a member of the California serogroup viruses that includes the mosquito-borne viruses California encephalitis, Keystone, La Crosse, snowshoe hare and trivittatus.  Initial symptoms of illness may include fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, and fatigue. Severe symptoms often involve encephalitis and can include seizures, coma, and paralysis.

Diagnostic Testing

• Arborvirus IgM Antibody Panel: Test Code SS02201
• Methodology: Qualitative IgM capture ELISA for JCV, POWV, EEE and LAC;  Microsphere immunoassay (MIA) for WNV/SLE
• Specimen Types: Serum, 1-3 ml; Both serum and CSF, minimum 500 ul, for patients with possible encephalitis
• Specimen Handling: Specimens must be stored and transported to the lab at 2-8C (refrigerated with cool packs)
• Turn-around Time: One week
• Results: Negative, Presumptive Positive or Nonspecific for MIA.  Numeric value and interpretation as Negative, Equivocal, Presumptive Positive, or Uninterpretable for IgM capture ELISA
• CPT Codes: 86651, 86652, 86653, 86788, 86790 x 3
• Price: $425

June 1, 2016 Announcement Memo

Wisconsin 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 18, 2016, there have been no locally-acquired cases of Zika virus infection in Wisconsin or in the continental United States.

DHS news release

WSLH Zika virus testing information

University 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 conference where she also received her award from outgoing ASCT President Catherine Smith (no relation).

The ASCT President’s Award was established in 1991 and is presented to an outstanding member of the ASCT by the president in recognition of outstanding service.

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

WSLH 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 the result of a generous gift from the Wynne Mateffy Research Foundation with a match from John and Tashia Morgridge.

Dr. Baker is working with a PhD student to assess the carrier rate of Zellweger syndrome using publicly available whole exome sequencing data.

 

A 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 they were drinking from their hand-dug backyard wells (sited sometimes just feet away from their family cess pools) was unsafe.

Watch the video — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwu5FhwmTx4

 

The 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 in which to live, work and play.

• From the babies we help protect from severe health issues and even death through Newborn Screening
• To the children and adults those babies grow up to be, whose health status we monitor in Biochemical Genetics
• To the workers we help protect through the Occupational Health Lab, WisCon and OSHA Statistics
• To the people who rely on our testing in Environmental Health to ensure the water they drink and the air they breathe is safe
• To the women whose cervical cancer we try to prevent in Cytology and the cancer patients whose therapy we help improve in Clinical Genetics
• To the drivers we help protect through our OWI Toxicology testing
• To the millions of patients whose clinical laboratory tests we help ensure are correct via Proficiency Testing
• To the people who didn’t get sick because our Communicable Disease testing helped stop a disease outbreak.

WSLH scientists and staff are committed to continuing this legacy of public, environmental and occupational health laboratory practice and policy for generations to come.

Learn more: Return on Investment (ROI) of Public Health video from the American Public Health Association – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5M9JefYxJI