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Infectious Diseases Resources and Trainings

APHL supports the infectious diseases work of public health laboratories with technical publications, resources, trainings, communities of practice and more.

Questions?

Contact the Infectious Diseases team: [email protected]

Resources and Reports

Technical Publications (Current) 

APHL produces a host of technical publications to inform or guide laboratory work, including reports, guidance, survey data, meeting summaries, fact sheets and more. Search within the repository or browse the curated list below.

General Resources

Below are publications that provide helpful context, either as a baseline overview of a topic or documentation of a public health event. 

Historical Resources and Reports 

Below are documents that provide helpful historical context or documentation of previous survey results. 

RESOURCES

SURVEY REPORTS


For US Public Health Laboratories

Training Resources

Infectious Diseases Training Resources

APHL has developed many trainings including on-demand courses, videos and webinars for infectious diseases topics. Most of this material can be accessed through through the APHL Learning Center. You can also visit the Training Hub for many training resources and find upcoming webinars via the Event Calendar. The resources showcased on this page  are available here without any continuing education credits and may not include completion certifications. Courses that are available for CEU in the ALC are noted. 


 

MicrobeNET Training Videos

MicrobeNet is a CDC hosted, free database that provides detailed information on rare and unusual pathogens including bacteria and fungi. The information is curated by experts and is updated frequently. Clinical and public health laboratorians can access this information to improve their reference diagnostics and species identification capabilities. Visit the MicrobeNet homepage to sign in or request an account. Contact the team at [email protected] with questions.

Topics include:

  • Mass Spectromy: Identifying Pathogens from MALDI-TOF Data
  • Sequencing Analysis: Identifying Pathogens from 16S Sequencing
  • Phenotypic Testing: Identifying Pathogens from Phenotypic Testing

View MicrobeNet Training Videos

 

Introductory Video

For International Public Health Laboratories

Training Resources

The following are online learning activities, training materials and other tools developed for public health laboratories outside of the US. APHL is not able to offer any continuing education credits for these activities. If you are based in the US and looking for courses offered by APHL please proceed to the APHL Learning Center.

Cross-Cutting

This learning activity consists of three modules that focus on the pre-analytical phase of the specimen handling lifecycle. Approximate time to complete course is 1 hour (~20 minutes per module); certificate of completion provided. Click the links below to view the on-demand videos. 

ENGLISH

FRANÇAIS

Recordings from a training held September 2024. The videos include lectures on laboratory data management, accessioning, data privacy, confidentiality and security as well as topics on Microsoft Excel including data cleaning, formulas and functions and tables and graphs.

English Videos

Vidéos en Français

This learning activity is offered in two formats: an online version and a version to deliver your own in-person workshop. Each format covers the same topics: overview of the scientific writing process; manuscript preparation and manuscript revision. A desktop computer or laptop is recommended for taking the online course. Specific modules and topics can be accessed from the directory once the course is launched. 

ONLINE MODULES

The approximate time to complete the entire online course is 4 hours. A certificate of completion is provided for each module.

IN-PERSON WORKSHOP MATERIALS

The in-person workshop is intended to be delivered over the course of two-three days. The workshop materials consist of a Facilitator's Guide, PowerPoint slides and a Participant Workbook. 

Pathogen Specific

Regional Laboratory Quality Training for Bacterial Meningitis Surveillance

These recordings are of a live training given over the course of six days in September 2021. The videos include didactic lectures designed to introduce quality management systems and inform laboratorians of best practices to assure quality in laboratory processes. 

English Videos

Vidéos en Français

Preliminary Identification of Bacterial Meningitis Pathogens

This course focuses on the preliminary identification of bacterial meningitis pathogens. Approximate time to complete course is 30 minutes (~7 minutes per module). 

English Videos

Vidéos en Français

Resources

This manual contains standard operating procedures for the identification and characterization of bacterial meningitis pathogens from cerebrospinal fluid by culture.

Tool / Work Aid
2020

Standard Operating Procedure: Identification and Characterization of Neisseria meningitidis, Streptococcuspneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae

Infectious Diseases, Bacteriology
Tool / Work Aid
2020

Procédures Opérationnelles Standardisées Identification et Caractérisation de Neisseria meningitidis, Streptococcus pneumoniae et Haemophilus influenzae

Infectious Diseases, Bacteriology

These training materials were designed to facilitate a multi-sectoral discussion when there is detection of influenza virus of pandemic potential in poultry and human populations. The training was developed for an international audience but much of the material could be helpful for domestic preparedness as well. The materials consist of didactic lectures, group exercises and a case study-they can also be used in a modular manner for specific epidemiology, veterinary, laboratory or medical audiences. 

 

Introduction

Clinical

Epidemiology

Veterinary

Laboratory

Case Study

Using the Yellow Fever MAC-HD Kit to Detect IgM to Yellow Fever Virus 

These modules demonstrate how to use the Yellow Fever MAC-HD ELISA Test Kit to detect immunoglobulin M antibodies to yellow fever virus, including how to set up and conduct the ELISA, calculation demonstrations and results analysis. Video is available in mutliple languages. 


Beyond the Public Health Laboratory

Training Resources

The following are online training materials intended to assist a broad public health audience beyond the public health laboratory, including clinical and non-clinical testing staff, public health nurses, staff at health departments and at care facilities that may be engaged in activities with public health entities. If you are based in the US and looking for courses offered by APHL, please proceed to the APHL Learning Center where these courses are available with certificates of completion and/or continuing education credits. 

Syphilis Diagnostics: Rapid Plasma Reagin (RPR) Manual Test Methods

  • This on-demand course outlines the intended use of the manual Rapid Plasma Reagin procedure and then describes and demonstrates how to perform testing (both qualitative and semi-quantitative). The course also covers interpretation of results, reporting and additional testing considerations. This activity is intended for bench level laboratorians

View Training

Understanding Tuberculosis (TB) Laboratory Testing for Public Health Nurses

  • This just-in-time resource provides education and on-demand access to understand the basics of laboratory testing for tuberculosis, from proper collection through test methods and results interpretation. With clear navigation, it is easy to watch from beginning to end or jump right to the information you need.  

View Training

Brought to you by the Association of Public Health Laboratories and the Antimicrobial Resistance Laboratory Network (AR Lab Network) these learning resources were created to assist staff at health care facilities understand the role of colonization screening for carbapenemase-producing organisms (CPOs) and Candida auris.

​Continuing education credit is not available for these learning resources. If you are based in the US and need credit for course completion​ or are interested in courses offering CEU please proceed to the APHL Learning Center.

For any questions, email [email protected].​

Find Your Community

APHL’s ColLABorate Online Communities provide an opportunity to connect with others working in the same field or with similar areas of interest. Learn more about joining one of our communities:

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