Tuberculosis: Better Detection Techniques and Treatments for a Deadly Disease

Tuberculosis hides in plain sight.

By Donna Campisano, specialist, Communications, APHL

World TB Day is March 24

Before COVID-19 sprang on the scene, tuberculosis (TB) had the alarming distinction of being the world’s deadliest infectious disease. Now it ranks second, having claimed 1.3 million lives in 2022. While TB is less a problem in this country than other parts of the world, public health officials remain vigilant. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that in 2022, TB incidence rates in this country were up 5.5% since 2021.

TB is a highly contagious disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It typically affects the lungs and is generally passed from person to person via airborne droplets—the kind that can spew when someone coughs, sneezes or speaks.

Public health laboratories play instrumental roles in fighting TB by identifying Mycobacterium tuberculosis and assessing the organism’s susceptibility to relevant drugs with the use and application of novel technologies. One of those technologies is next generation sequencing (NGS), which looks at the sequence of DNA present in a specimen to identify an organism and determine whether genetic mutations that may impact drug resistance are present. 

The Role of NGS in TB Detection

Key to curbing TB outbreaks is rapid detection and characterization of drug resistance. But that can be a challenge.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a slow-growing organism. Traditional methods used for detection and drug susceptibility testing depend on growth, but it can take weeks for a cultured sample to grow the bacterium. During that time, a patient may not be diagnosed or treated with appropriate drugs. That may be time that a patient isn’t limiting exposure to others, allowing infections to take root in communities.

But NGS may help slow the spread.

While NGS has been around for a while, [SB1] using it to gather clinical information is a relatively new application. NGS can not only identify the bacterium causing the disease, but it can also predict whether the bacterium isolated is resistant or susceptible to one of the anti-bacterial drugs used to treat TB. And it can do it all in a matter of days-to-weeks instead of the weeks-to-months it takes to grow a lab culture. That kind of timely, detailed diagnosis is essential not only in reducing community spread but also in eliminating the need for a patient to potentially utilize multiple costly and time-consuming treatment regimens before landing on the one that works.

More Treatment Options

Tuberculosis treatment can lasts months—sometimes as long as six-to-nine. And if the TB is drug resistant, treatment could linger on for up to two years. These long-in-duration treatment plans can be inconvenient for patients, making them more likely to abandon the drugs before they’ve taken full effect.

In 2022, CDC recommended the use of a multi-drug regimen called RPT-MOX for patients older than 12 with drug-susceptible pulmonary TB. Based on the results of an international clinical trial, researchers found that the four-month regimen was as effective in curing TB as the standard six-month method that had been one of the mainstays of treatment.

Another drug combination making news is BPaL, which in 2019 was US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved for use in people with drug-resistant TB as well as in people who can’t tolerate standard treatments or show no improvement when using them.

BPaL appears highly effective in treating TB. In one study, 95 of 107 people saw improvement in six months of treatment and six months of post-treatment follow-up. Only slightly more than 1.3% of TB cases in this country are multi-drug resistant, but worldwide the number reaches 20%, says WHO.

APHL and TB Testing

In 2015, APHL, in collaboration with CDC, established a National PHL Drug Susceptibility (DST) Reference Center for Mycobacterium tuberculosis to provide quality-assured drug susceptibility testing for eligible US public health laboratories. In 2024, the reference center began utilizing NGS clinically to predict for resistance to standard first-line drugs as well as drugs used in the RPT-MOX and BPaL testing regimens.  The reference center acts as an extension of CDC’s Division of TB Elimination Laboratory Branch and provides drug-susceptibility testing for US public health laboratories with low volumes of testing (fewer than 50 isolates annually). Participation in the reference center is voluntary. CDC’s testing services remain available to all US TB programs.

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Measles Outbreaks Still Occur: How the APHL/CDC VPD Reference Centers Are Working to Identify Them

1981 poster promoting measles vaccination that says, "Make Measles a Memory." Photo source: CDC

By Donna Campisano, specialist, Communications, APHL

A vaccine to prevent measles has been available since 1963. And yet this highly contagious disease, characterized by fever, respiratory symptoms and a telltale body rash, is still with us.

While measles is thought of as a childhood illness, its outcomes can be far from benign.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1 in 5 unvaccinated people who contract the virus will be hospitalized. One in every 20 children with the disease will develop pneumonia. And up to 3 of every 1,000 children infected will die from the neurological and respiratory complications measles cause.

Disease Outbreaks and the Role of Vaccine Preventable Disease Reference Centers

Thanks to a robust vaccination program, measles practically disappeared from this country and was declared eliminated in the US by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2000. But increased vaccine hesitancy and a return to global travel (most cases of measles in this country are imported from elsewhere) following the pandemic have officials concerned.

As of the first week in March, 45 measles cases from 17 jurisdictions have been reported to the CDC in 2024. Compare that to 58 total cases from 20 jurisdictions reported in all of 2023. Florida accounts for 10 of those cases, nine in one county alone. While the vast majority are children and teens, one is an adult. All 10 cases were reported in February, demonstrating how quickly cases can spread. And more cases are popping up every day. The CDC recently sent a team to Chicago to help with a measles outbreak clustered mostly in a migrant shelter. Eight cases have been confirmed in about as many days.

While the number of cases reported thus far in this country isn’t staggering, the same can’t be said for other parts of the world where vaccination rates are particularly dismal. According to WHO, measles cases increased 18% globally from 2021 to 2022 and deaths jumped by 43%.

In 2013, APHL, in partnership with CDC, established four Vaccine Preventable Diseases (VPD) Reference Centers to help reduce the diagnostic load of state laboratories and assist with the pathogen typing that’s necessary to detect the origin and spread of disease outbreaks.

These four centers—located in California, New York, Wisconsin and Minnesota—perform molecular testing for the viruses that cause measles, mumps, rubella (German measles), chickenpox, enterovirus (which can cause diseases like polio and hepatitis A) and MERS-CoV (Middle East respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus). The Wisconsin and Minnesota centers also perform bacterial pathogen testing.

Testing, both diagnostic and characterization, is performed using standardized methods developed by CDC and is available to public health departments free of charge. Submitting sites are assigned to one or two VPD Reference Centers depending on what services they need. Test results are reported to the submitting site and to CDC.

Detecting Outbreaks in Real Time

How do VPD Reference Centers help curb outbreaks?

To reduce vaccine-preventable diseases like measles and the burden they cause, officials—from clinicians to public health professionals to lab scientists—need details about what diseases are circulating where. And the more immediate the information, the more immediate a response.

To that end, APHL will be launching a VPD dashboard in the next few months. The VPD Reference Centers will submit monthly or bimonthly data reports to APHL detailing the number of specimens submitted to them for testing, how many tests were performed per pathogen and the number of positive specimens detected. That information will be fed into the publicly available dashboard.

The dashboard, along with the rapid detection of disease provided by member labs and the outreach conducted by public health officials, will play a pivotal role in responding to disease outbreaks. APHL and CDC will continue to work together to provide training and improve knowledge in identifying and curtailing disease outbreaks, whatever form they take, wherever they erupt.

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Applesauce Tainted with Lead Chromate: What We Know and Next Steps

Photo showing three applesauce pouches

By Donna Campisano, specialist, Communications, APHL

Applesauce is a pantry staple and a favorite snack among toddlers.

But lately applesauce, specifically cinnamon applesauce packaged in squeeze pouches, has been making headlines—and for alarming reasons.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and state and local partners are investigating a link between elevated blood lead levels (BLLs) ≥3.5 µg/dL in children consuming certain cinnamon-containing apple purée and applesauce products manufactured in Ecuador.

Consumers should be aware of these elevated levels and the potential for adverse health effects.

What’s been recalled?

Ecuadorian food manufacturer Austrofoods has voluntarily recalled its WanaBana Apple Cinnamon Fruit Puree Pouches, regardless of expiration date and lot code. Two additional brands of products are also subject to recall: certain Schnucks cinnamon-flavored applesauce pouches and variety pack and certain Weis cinnamon applesauce pouches.

These products were sold through multiple retailers, including Dollar Tree and Amazon.

Consumers should not eat, and retailers should not sell nor serve, the recalled brands of apple cinnamon fruit pouches.

What started the recall?

This recall started with a joint investigation by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, local health departments and the North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services after the NC State Laboratory of Public Health identified three children with high blood lead levels in the western portion of the state.

An in-home investigator made the applesauce/lead connection after observing identical products in the pantries of two children reported to have elevated blood lead levels. The NCDHHS then identified WanaBana Apple Cinnamon Fruit Puree pouches as a potential shared source of exposure and reported their finding to the FDA. As part of the investigation, NCDHHS analyzed multiple lots of the product, detecting extremely high concentrations of lead. The FDA has reviewed and supports the NCDHHS’ findings.

Early in the FDA’s investigation, it leveraged the capability and capacity of the Laboratory Flexible Funding Model (LFFM) laboratories. The LLFM is a cooperative agreement between the FDA and state human and animal food testing laboratories. The intent of the agreement is to increase the ability of states to generate actionable data and ensure the safety of the US food supply.

An email and next-day emergency call resulted in 12 LFFM laboratories pivoting their sampling efforts. In four business days, 97 samples were collected for testing. Laboratories were instructed to collect both cinnamon-containing and non-cinnamon-containing products; some laboratories were also asked to perform XRF testing (an X-ray technique that can show what elements a compound contains) on the purée packaging to help isolate the contamination source.

How big is the problem?

State health departments receive reports of potential cases from various sources, and then follow up to determine whether the case definition is met. When a case definition is met, the state health department then reports the case to the CDC.

To be considered in CDC’s case count, the person must have had a blood lead level of 3.5 ug/dL or higher measured within three months after consuming a recalled WanaBana, Schnucks or Weis brand fruit purée product after November 2022.

As of Feb. 24, 2024, the CDC has received 111 confirmed cases of elevated blood lead levels in people consuming these products as well as 320 probable cases and 37 suspected cases for a total of 468 cases from 44 different states. As of Jan. 30, 2024, the FDA has received 90 confirmed complaints/reports of adverse events potentially linked to recalled product.

The median age of those affected is one year.

It’s important to note that the CDC and FDA have different data sources, so the counts reported by each agency will not directly correspond. In addition, some people who were affected by the contaminated product might be reflected in both the numbers reported by the FDA and the numbers reported by CDC, so the numbers should not be added together.

How did the applesauce get contaminated?

The FDA completed an onsite inspection of the Austrofoods facility located in Ecuador, testing samples of the cinnamon used in the recalled applesauce pouches. The highest result was 5,110 parts per million (ppm), which was more than 2,000 times the level of 2.5 ppm being considered for bark spices (including cinnamon) by the international standard-setting body, Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex).

The FDA has identified lead chromate found in the cinnamon of these products to be the source of contamination. Lead chromate is a lead-and-chromium-containing compound with yellow, red or orange pigments, depending on the type. The FDA hypothesizes that the lead chromate was illegally and deliberately added to the cinnamon by the supplier to increase the cinnamon’s weight and enhance its color.

While the CDC reports that the health effects of chromium consumption are difficult to predict in this scenario, there is no safe level of lead.

The FDA does not need an action level or guidance to act when food contains a harmful substance, such as lead, that may render the food injurious to health. However, the agency has limited authority over foreign ingredient suppliers who do not directly ship their products to the U.S. Thus, the FDA has reduced ability to take direct action against Negasmart (the supplier of cinnamon to Austrofoods)  or Carlos Aguilera (the processor of the cinnamon sticks).

Carlos Aguilera is currently not in operation.

What’s next?

Anyone who may have eaten the affected products should talk with their healthcare provider.

Lead is toxic to humans and can affect people of any age or health status. Protecting children from exposure to lead is particularly important because they are more susceptible to lead toxicity. Most children have no obvious immediate signs of lead toxicity, but when symptoms do develop, they can include:

  • problems with learning, behavior, hearing and/or speech
  • slowed growth
  • lower IQ
  • physical symptoms, such as abdominal pain, weakness, anemia, seizures and even coma

Ask your healthcare provider about having your child tested for lead. If your child has elevated lead levels, your healthcare provider will recommend next steps.

If this investigation has you wondering about the safety of other cinnamon, you aren’t alone. FDA and state LFFM laboratories have expanded cinnamon testing beyond the recalled products. FDA has determined that certain ground cinnamon products do contain elevated levels of lead. While the levels detected in other products are only slightly elevated, prolonged exposure to these products may be unsafe.

This investigation is discussed in detail in the APHL/CSTE webinar, “Collaborative Insights: Detecting Lead and Chromium in Cinnamon Fruit Pureés,” which you can access in the APHL Learning Center.

APHL has guidance available to public health laboratories implementing a lower reference value for blood lead.

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New Lab Matters: Public health on the frontier

Lab Matters magazine masthead

Most public health laboratories across the US share the same challenges, such as lack of sustained funding and worries over staff recruitment and retention. But laboratories in more rural areas and remote locations, or in large states with sparse populations, have their own unique set of challenges. These circumstances often necessitate ingenuity, independence and creativity, as seen in this issue’s feature article.

Also in this issue:

Read the full issue.

Subscribe and get Lab Matters delivered to your inbox, or read Lab Matters on your mobile device.

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What is CIFOR and how does it prevent foodborne disease outbreaks?

The Council to Improve Foodborne Outbreak Response (CIFOR) logo

In 2018, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) approximated the economic burden of foodborne illness to be $17.6 million. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that each year one in six Americans get sick – with 128,000 becoming hospitalized and 3,000 dying – from foodborne illness.

The Council to Improve Foodborne Outbreak Response (CIFOR) helps lessen these health and economic burdens by improving outbreak detection methods, laboratory testing efficiencies, investigation tools and procedures, and control strategies. These improvements allow for the rapid detection of sick individuals and connect those illnesses to contaminated food products, thereby preventing the spread of foodborne disease outbreaks or even stopping them from happening.

What is CIFOR?

CIFOR is a multi-disciplinary group of public health professionals formed in 2006. The council includes federal agencies and national professional organizations whose staff and members have an interest in and responsibility for controlling foodborne disease outbreaks in the United States.

CIFOR was formed to identify barriers to the rapid detection of and response to foodborne disease outbreaks and develops projects that address these barriers. CIFOR members work collaboratively to develop model programs and products that facilitate investigation and control of foodborne disease outbreaks. They also work to improve performance and coordination in foodborne disease investigations across all levels of government.

CIFOR’s flagship product is the Guidelines to Improve Foodborne Disease Outbreak Response, otherwise known as CIFOR Guidelines.

Initially published in 2009, the CIFOR Guidelines are a comprehensive source of information on foodborne disease investigation and control for local, state, territorial, tribal and federal health agencies. The guidelines describe model practices for preparing for, detecting, investigating and controlling foodborne disease outbreaks and define the roles key organizations play in these activities.

The Third Edition of CIFOR Guidelines for Foodborne Disease Outbreak Response was released in the fall of 2020. This version incorporates several changes regarding disease surveillance, laboratory testing and outbreak detection practices since the first and second editions were published. The CIFOR Toolkit was updated in 2020 to reflect the changes in the third edition of the guidelines.

What is APHL’s role in CIFOR?

The Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) is a founding member of CIFOR. APHL represents the state and local government laboratory perspective within the council and provides key insight on the barriers to rapid laboratory detection and response to foodborne illness.

The focus of APHL’s work is to help strengthen laboratory systems. One way in which APHL accomplishes this is by providing necessary training to laboratory personnel and other key partners.

Working closely with CIFOR members, APHL created the CIFOR Learning Modules to provide a high-level overview of the concepts and best practices covered in the CIFOR Guidelines.  Here are five things you should know about the CIFOR Learning Modules:  

  1. Based on the Third Edition of the CIFOR Guidelines to Improve Foodborne Disease Outbreak Response, published in 2020.
  2. Designed for any public health practitioner involved in the detection, investigation, control or prevention of foodborne illness outbreaks.
  3. Free!
  4. Can be found in the APHL Learning Center. Log in with your APHL account, or if you don’t have one, create one quickly for free!
  5. Provide 2.5 contact hour(s) of continuing education for laboratorians who successfully complete this training by October 23, 2025.

The post What is CIFOR and how does it prevent foodborne disease outbreaks? appeared first on APHL Blog.

Nashville-based laboratory interns and mentors achieve perfect harmony

Photos of Kamren Williams and Mytasia Stone, two Public Health Laboratory Internship Program participants.

By Rudolph Nowak, senior specialist, communications, APHL

The Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL), in collaboration with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), launched the Public Health Laboratory Internship Program: an APHL-CDC Initiative in March 2023. The program offers paid internships that provide an opportunity for current students to gain basic laboratory science skills by working alongside a mentor at a public health laboratory.

Since its inception, the internship program focused on recruiting underrepresented students into the public health laboratory career field. To facilitate these efforts, APHL continually cultivates partnerships between minority-serving academic institutions and their local public health laboratories, encouraging students to apply to the internship program. Early outcomes are showing that this approach is working.

One of these partnerships is between Tennessee State University (TSU), a Historically Black College and University (HBCU), and the Tennessee Department of Health, Division of Laboratory Services (TDH Laboratory Services). As a direct result of this relationship, TDH Laboratory Services is currently hosting three TSU students as interns. Below we delve into the experiences of two mentors from TDH Laboratory Services and two interns from TSU. These conversations highlight the unique contributions of mentors and interns and the program’s effectiveness in nurturing talent.

A TAILORED EXPERIENCE

Mytasia Stone, currently in her second year of TSU’s Master of Public Health program after completing her bachelor’s degree from the same institution, is interested in pursuing a career in epidemiology. She pursued this internship “to experience the background side of epidemiology.” Stone’s mentor, Kristin Dunaway, has tailored the experience to her interest in epidemiology by including Stone in various meetings with other epidemiologists and helping Stone network with other laboratory staff, “[my mentor] has introduced me to everyone in the building.”

At the forefront of her responsibilities is water testing, a domain she entered without any prior experience. Stone learned every step during the first two months of her internship, and now she is able to run the water tests independently. Stone also specified the internship has helped her improve her technical writing abilities. Stone recently extended her internship and is looking forward to working on COVID-19 wastewater surveillance with her mentor.

Dunaway, who works in the Environmental Microbiology Lab, has been impressed with Mytasia’s commitment to learning and underscored how helpful having an intern is to her own workload. She added, “all of her work is done efficiently and has helped quicken processes.” Dunaway has most enjoyed witnessing Mytasia getting first-time experience with different laboratory tasks, “she gets a smile on her face, and you can tell she’s really having fun.”

The internship program not only provides valuable hands-on experience but also cultivates a tailored and enriching journey for participants like Stone, fostering a passion for their chosen fields within public health laboratories.

UNMASKING A NEW CAREER: A PATH TO PUBLIC HEALTH LABORATORIES

Kamren Williams, a recent bachelor’s degree recipient from TSU, vividly recalls his introduction to the world of public health laboratories from an APHL staff member at a career fair at TSU. That encounter led to an internship under the guidance of Julie Viruez, the training coordinator in the Operations Department. He appreciated how this program exposed him to a different career path he previously did not know existed.

Julie Viruez, a seasoned professional with over 13 years at TDH Laboratory Services, embraced the role of mentorship for the first time. Although hesitant to become a mentor, she has “thoroughly enjoyed being a mentor to Kamren” and described Kamren as “friendly, motivated, and interested to learn everything about public health.” The opportunity to increase awareness about what public health labs do and to be “a part of [Williams’] career trajectory” were some of the most rewarding aspects for Julie. She hopes to continue serving as a mentor in the program.

PARTNERSHIPS FOSTER DIVERSITY IN PUBLIC HEALTH LABORATORIES

This successful partnership between TSU and TDH Laboratory Services has proven how crucial face-to-face recruitment activities are in exposing more students to careers in public health laboratories. The collaborative efforts of APHL in forming partnerships with minority-serving institutions and public health laboratories stand as a testament to their commitment to inspiring more underrepresented students to pursue the various careers within the realms of public health laboratories.

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APHL Receives Funding to Strengthen Public Health Laboratory Systems to Improve Food Safety

Photo showing cups of beans and seeds for testing.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Bethesda, MD, February 8, 2024 — The Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) recently received an award from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to help build an integrated laboratory system to advance the safety of human and animal food.

The three-year grant will enable APHL to support the critical role of state public health and agriculture laboratories in identifying, containing and preventing hazards in the food supply. APHL’s work will include assessing national testing capability and capacity; developing best practices and other guidance manuals; and offering trainings, meetings and other educational resources. APHL will also support ISO/IEC 17025 laboratory accreditation to ensure laboratories have quality management systems and testing competencies in place and can produce defensible data for regulatory and public health action, among other activities.

“Public health and agricultural laboratories are on the front lines helping assure the safety of our nation’s food supply,” said Scott J. Becker, MS, chief executive officer of APHL. “They are essential to our nation’s ability to prevent, detect and respond to outbreaks of foodborne illness. We look forward to working with FDA, state laboratories and partners to strengthen our laboratory capacity to improve food safety.”

This project is supported 100% by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) cooperative agreement Number 1U2FFD008200 totaling $1.8 million.

To learn more about APHL’s food safety work, visit www.aphl.org/foodsafety.

# # #

The Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) works to strengthen laboratory systems serving the public’s health in the US and globally. APHL’s member laboratories protect the public’s health by monitoring and detecting infectious and foodborne diseases, environmental contaminants, terrorist agents, genetic disorders in newborns and other diverse health threats. Learn more at www.aphl.org.

Contact: Michelle Forman at 240.485.2793 or michelle.forman@aphl.org

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APHL Global Health team joins partners at ASLM2023 Conference

ASLM opening ceremony performance.

The 2023 African Society for Laboratory Medicine (ASLM) Conference (ASLM2023) was held from December 12-15 in Cape Town, South Africa. Leaders and researchers in laboratory practice from across the world gathered to address this year’s theme, “Shaping laboratory systems and diagnostics services for the 21st century: embracing the change.” APHL was well-represented at the conference with staff members moderating plenaries, presenting posters and leading pre-conference workshops.

“The conference provided an important opportunity for APHL to showcase key initiatives that we are supporting as well as for us to learn about the work our colleagues are implementing around the continent. I am proud of how ASLM is contributing to strengthening laboratory systems across Africa,” says Lucy Maryogo-Robinson, director of global health, APHL, and ASLM board member.

Before the conference officially began, APHL staff members Rufus Nyaga, Kasimona Sichela, Matthew McCarroll, Noah Hull and Reshma Kakkar were already leading an afternoon workshop on “Data Modernization 101: What, How and Why Does It Matter in the 21st Century?” Shannon Emery was similarly engaged leading a Global Laboratory Leadership Programme (GLLP) workshop called, “Building Strong Leaders for Health Security,” along with representatives from the World Health Organization (WHO) and other GLLP founding members.

The conference’s keynote speaker, Ambassador John Nkengasong, emphasized the importance of laboratory science in mitigating and managing outbreaks of the 21st century. Nkengasong noted that outbreaks are occurring more frequently, citing with some irony that he last spoke to this group at ASLM 2018 and was marking the 100th anniversary of the 1918 flu pandemic. Nkengasong addressed the importance of genomics and precision medicine for our future, while also mentioning current challenges and opportunities around antimicrobial resistance and artificial intelligence.

Over the three-day conference, APHL’s presence could be found throughout the poster halls, with poster presentations including:

  • Establishment of Molecular Testing Capacity in Three Clinical Laboratories – An APHL Global Health Program Experience in Kenya by Jully Okonji,
  • Implementation of SARS-CoV-2 EQA Program in Ghana by Kwame Asante,
  • Just-In-Time Training: Bioinformatics and Genomic Epidemiology in the Global COVID-19 Pandemic Response and Future Endeavors by Noah Hull,
  • Multi-national, Inter-agency Collaboration to Improve Future Pandemic Preparedness: Developing a Comprehensive Genomics Costing Tool by Angela Poates,
  • Introduction of Barcode Labels in the PEPFAR Regions of Ghana by Kwama Asante,
  • Leveraging Laboratory Information System (LIS) for Efficient Data Management in a Pilot Wastewater-Based Surveillance Study for SARS-CoV-2 in Kenya: Promoting Sustainability and Ownership through Existing Program Integration by Rufus Nyaga, and 
  • Solar System Implementation for Clean and Sustainable Energy Utilization for Improved Laboratory Services and Health Information Systems in Zambia, by Clement Phiri and Christine Mfula. 

Additionally, Maryogo-Robinson spoke on two panels: one about building the laboratory workforce and another about end-to-end integrated testing.

This was the sixth biennial conference of the ASLM. Launched in 2012, the ASLM conference brings together experts from Africa and beyond to discuss challenges and opportunities in laboratory medicine. The ASLM is an independent, international, not-for-profit organization that coordinates, galvanizes and mobilizes relevant stakeholders at the local, national and international level to improve access to world-class diagnostic services and ensure healthy African communities now and for the long-term.

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APHL’s Top 10 Stories of 2023

Collage of photos with text that reads, "Top Stories of 2023."

This year was full of growth and progress for APHL thanks to our members, partners and staff. As we look back on 2023, there are countless stories that represent the hard work and dedication of the entire public health laboratory community. These ten stories are just a small selection that demonstrate why we are so proud of everything public health laboratory teams around the globe do year after year.

While these stories had the most views or downloads in their respective publications, there are many more excellent stories in Lab Matters, on the APHL Blog or on the Lab Culture podcast so be sure to check those out too! This list is in chronological order of the date they were published:

The post APHL’s Top 10 Stories of 2023 appeared first on APHL Blog.

New Lab Matters: Building trust in public health through communications

Cover of Lab Matters magazine masthead

In addition to their round-the-clock work on testing during the COVID-19 pandemic, public health laboratories quickly became a focal point for providing information. And as misinformation seemed to spread as quickly as the virus itself, APHL and laboratory staff found themselves in the role of “truth-tellers.” The new environment presented challenges, but also opportunities to make public health laboratories–and their stories–more visible to the public. In this issue’s feature article, we not only talk to laboratorians who were thrust into the spotlight, but also look at key components to thoughtful, grounded communications.

Also in this issue:

Read the full issue.

Subscribe and get Lab Matters delivered to your inbox, or read Lab Matters on your mobile device.

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