CDC releases report detailing bio-chem lab detection capabilities

Last week the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) releaseda report detailing its latest advancements in local and state laboratories’ abilities to identify dangerous biological and chemical substances.

The report, titled “Public Health Preparedness: 2011 State-by-State Update on Laboratory Capabilities and Response Readiness Planning,” examined response readiness efforts in Chicago, Los Angeles County, New York City, Washington, D.C. as well as in all fifty states and found that the majority of metropolitan centers and states had robust laboratory operations to detect dangerous substances.

In addition, the report found that the bulk of facilities had improved their ability to quickly identify biological agents and pass that information on to CDC headquarters in Atlanta.

In a drill designed to test the laboratories’ ability to respond to a major biological attack like the 1995 sarin gas attack in the Tokyo subway system, the more advanced facilities were able to reduce the time it took to analyze 500 samples from ninety-eight hours to fifty-six hours over the course of a year.

In addition, each year CDC officials and state public health authorities assess the ability for labs to organize and disperse medical countermeasures from the Strategic National Stockpile. The report indicated that on average assessment scores improved from eighty-seven to ninety-four.

In particular, labs improved in the preparation of vaccines and distribution and cooperation between hospitals and medical providers.