The Nebraska Public Health Laboratory (NPHL) is one of 23 laboratories
in the country that recently received certification by the U.S. Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta to conduct tests for
the smallpox virus. The certification means the labs have met the CDCs
national criteria of bio-safety, bio-security and expertise, and can provide
same day results instead of sending out a specimen and getting results
about two days later.
Labs previously sent samples to the CDC in Atlanta. The addition of
smallpox testing capability at the NPHL brings to 11 the number of agents
the lab can identify. The agents are those identified by the CDC as high
priority in bioterrorism preparedness.
“Nebraska strives to be a leader in bioterrorism preparedness in all
aspects, said Joann Schaefer M.D., deputy chief medical officer, Nebraska
Health and Human Services System. We believe preparedness is the best
deterrent to someone who would plan on using a bioterror agent. We also
believe Nebraskans feel more secure about their safety knowing public officials
are prepared.
Tony Sambol, coordinator of the special pathogens and bio-security laboratory
sections of the NPHL located at UNMC, said specialists in the lab recently
received certification, reagents and test kits in order to test for the
smallpox virus.
This is a continuation of technology transfer from the CDC to state
public health labs, he said.
Of the 110 labs in the CDCs nationwide Laboratory Response Network,
30 applied to be part of a multi-site study to test the validity of the
smallpox kits, of which 23 met the criteria and now are certified to test
for smallpox virus, Sambol said.
The capability to provide fast and reliable tests is enhanced by the
Roche Molecular Biochemical LightCycler equipment that allows pathologists
and microbiologists to get results of laboratory tests in a fraction of
the time. The technology is an application of biology and engineering and
was purchased after September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001 through a grant
from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Its been tremendous. Weve been able to test for quite a number of
these agents for bioterrorism and get same day results. Its important
for patient treatment, saving lives and deciding whether or not there is
a need to quarantine, Sambol said.
He said the NPHL also will soon receive kits from the CDC that
will enable it to test for the much publicized disease called SARS or Severe
Acute Respiratory Syndrome. The only lab currently that can confirm patient
test results for suspected SARS is the CDC. Like smallpox testing, we
will be able to test for the SARS virus in our bio-safety level 3 lab in
a fraction of the time it takes to send the specimen to the CDC.