Public Health Laboratories

The mission of the Public Health Laboratories (PHL) is to protect the public's health in NH through responsive, unbiased, quality laboratory testing; to actively participate in national and international surveillance networks; and to improve the quality of health and laboratory services in both the public and private sector.

PHL fulfills its mission through these four core functions:

Laboratory Response for Critical Incidents

• Disease outbreaks
• Newly emergent diseases
• Product contamination and/or tampering
• Terrorism response

Laboratory Analysis for Food Safety Assurance

• Microbiological testing of dairy products, shellfish and growing waters, and other food products
• Paralytic shellfish poison (Red Tide) testing
• Testing for lead and other metals in maple syrup, fish and other food products
• Testing for mercury in fish

Laboratory Services for Infectious Disease Control

• Tuberculosis testing
• Sexually Transmitted Disease testing
• Vaccine Preventable Disease testing
• Human Immunodeficiency Virus screening, confirmation and viral load
• Bacterial, parasitic, and viral identification
• Drug susceptibility testing
• Rabies testing

Quality Assurance Leadership

• Reference lab services for hospital and independent labs in NH
• Training, internships and technology transfer for laboratorians
• Laboratory tours, demonstrations, science fairs and lectures
• Coordination of NH Laboratory Response Network
• The PHL has federal oversight by CLIA, TNI, FDA, USDA, and ISO