Department of Health. Division of Disease Control and Prevention. Utah Public Health Laboratory

The Laboratory runs multiple programs. The Infectious Diseases Laboratory Program provides laboratory testing and consultation services for local health departments, hospitals, clinical, laboratories, and physicians throughout Utah. The areas of support include: sexually-transmitted diseases (HIV, syphilis, chlamydia, and gonorrhea), agents of bioterrorism surveillance, respiratory virus surveillance and subtyping, arbovirus surveillance, virology, rabies testing, bacteriology, mycobacteriology, as well as communicable disease outbreak support, i.e. - influenza, tuberculosis, and food borne diseases. The Newborn Screening Laboratory Program provides a statewide system for early identification and referral of newborns with certain metabolic, endocrine, heart, or hematologic disorders that can produce long-term mental or physical disabilities or death if not treated early. The disorders are: congenital hypothyroidism, galactosemia, cystic fibrosis, hemoglobinopathy, biotinidase, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, amino acid disorders, fatty acid disorders, organic acid disorders and neurological disorders. Services include education and counseling to families of an affected newborn. The laboratory operations support services provide specimen handling, client services, and data entry. It includes purchasing, a central supply and distribution center, sterilization, collection kit preparation, physical plant operations, and employee support. The Environmental Chemistry Laboratory provides testing of water, soil, and air for toxic contaminants to enable our partners to monitor the environment for compliance with health and safety standards, and to respond to emergencies such as chemical spills and contaminated drinking water. The testing and results, requested primarily by the Department of Environmental Quality and the Department of Natural Resources, assist those departments in assessing the safety of the environment. The United States Environmental Protection Agency certifies the State laboratory as the principal laboratory for water testing. The Forensic Toxicology Laboratory Program provides drug and alcohol analysis for law enforcement agencies to determine driving under the influence violations, including automobile homicides, sexual assaults, and other crimes. In addition, the program provides testing for drug, alcohol, and other poisons in autopsy specimens to assist the Office of the Medical Examiner in determining the cause of death. Additionally, staff provide expert witness testimony on alcohol and drug impairment in courts statewide.