Infectious Diseases Overview

APHL facilitates the evaluation of new methods and technology to improve detection and/or diagnosis of infectious diseases through partnership with CDC and the public health laboratory community.

APHL collaborates and builds relationships among laboratory professionals and partners in public health, healthcare and beyond to facilitate information exchange and dissemination among them. This includes work across all infectious diseases and ongoing workgroups, such as the APHL-ASM Antimicrobial Laboratory Workgroup or supporting the AMD Communities of Practice.

In response to the changing landscape and public health laboratory needs, APHL has established six different Reference Centers based on a shared service model for ensuing all public health laboratories have access to the high-quality testing. The Reference Centers have been established for National Influenza Surveillance, Legionella, HIV and HCV Nucleic Acid Testing, drug susceptibility testing for Mycobacterium tuberculosis and for several viral and bacterial vaccine preventable diseases. APHL continues to monitor the need for additional testing services in a Reference Center Model.

To learn more visit the pathogen specific pages for Reference Center information including eligibility, enrollment and services offered:

• HIV: HIV NAT Reference Center
• Viral Hepatitis: HCV NAT Reference Center
• Respiratory Diseases:
• National Influenza Reference Center
• Legionella Reference Center
• Vaccine Preventable Diseases: Vaccine Preventable Diseases
• Tuberculosis: TB DST Ref Center

APHL has been actively engaged in global initiatives to support infectious disease testing in collaboration with CDC partners.

• Laboratory Capacity Assessments: APHL supports the development and maintenance of National Influenza Centers, a cornerstone of the Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS), one of the longest running surveillance programs globally. APHL and CDC developed the International Influenza Laboratory Capacity Review Tool which is used to perform voluntary laboratory capacity assessments where for subject matter experts from US public health laboratories and CDC observe laboratory operations and capture information to understand laboratory specific gaps and training needs. Similar tools have also been developed based on this concept to help provide feedback to other countries on their laboratory capacity beyond influenza virus.
  
• Training Workshops: APHL coordinates regional training workshops to support laboratories around the world. Trainings are typically held regionally and may be didactic or hands-on wet-laboratory training. Courses are tailored to specific regional needs, which may have been previously identified through laboratory capacity assessments or other site visits.
• Mentorship: APHL has established a quality assurance mentoring program which paired mentors from US public health laboratories with scientists at national laboratories focused on influenza testing to assist them as they worked to attain National Influenza Center status. The mentors shared examples of standard operation procedure templates and other example documents with assigned mentee countries and other countries in the region. The laboratories used the WHO Laboratory Quality Stepwise Implementation tool​ to help guide the development of quality management systems.

ID Lab Con is a forum to discuss the latest developments on detection and characterization of infectious diseases of public health concern.

Join public health laboratory professionals, clinical laboratorians, epidemiologists, leading researchers and diagnostics manufacturers as we unveil breakthroughs in public health microbiology. Share your latest findings, technologies and developments and help generate solutions to infectious disease challenges.

• ​Learn about contemporary issues in public health microbiology.
• Network with partners.
• Explore new approaches to infectious disease testing.
• Visit exhibitors for the latest in laboratory technology, supplies and services.
• Earn P.A.C.E. contact hours.

The National Conference on Laboratory Aspects of Tuberculosis (TB) is an annual event that focuses on the TB laboratory system. Topics include diagnostic technology and service delivery, optimizing drug susceptibility testing, the latest data on the use of molecular test methods, troubleshooting common problems, and global implications and practice.