Virus Reference and Surveillance Laboratory (VRSL)
Clinical Virology Program
Contact Information
Telephone: (518) 474-4177
Influenza Program
The Virus Reference and Surveillance Laboratory (VRSL) is a WHO Collaborating Center for the U.S. Influenza Surveillance System. Selected influenza isolates and primary clinical specimens are forwarded to the CDC throughout the influenza season to contribute to global influenza surveillance and determination of components of future vaccines.
Influenza Sentinel Program
The VRSL provides the laboratory testing for the New York State sentinel physician program that is run by the state epidemiology team in collaboration with the CDC. This program provides an essential service in monitoring the circulating influenza strains during the season. Specimens are tested by both molecular and classical virology techniques to ensure sensitivity of detection as well as the availability of isolates for analysis. Isolates are subtyped and a selected subset of them sequenced for antiviral susceptibility analysis. Selected positive samples and isolates are also forwarded to the CDC as a major contributing effort towards the determination of nationally and internationally circulating strains, and the selection of candidate strains for components of the influenza vaccine for the following season. These services are crucial for influenza pandemic surveillance and preparedness.
Additional Surveillance Programs for Pandemic H1N1 Influenza
The VRSL is also funded by the CDC for EIP enhanced hospital surveillance and vaccine efficacy studies for 2009 H1N1 influenza testing. Additionally the laboratory performs ongoing surveillance testing for hospitalized patients in sentinel hospitals throughout the state as part of the NYSDOH 2009-10 influenza season surveillance program.
Regularly updated data can be viewed at the link below, demonstrating results of influenza testing at the Wadsworth Center during the 2009-10 season.
The Influenza Genome Sequencing Project
The Wadsworth Center is also a collaborator on the NIAID-funded Influenza Genome Sequencing Project. This project is a collaborative effort designed to increase the genome knowledge base of influenza, which can then be accessed to gain a more thorough understanding of influenza virus evolution, transmission and pathogenicity. The entire genome of submitted viruses are sequenced and the data uploaded to GenBank. The VRSL has selected, extracted and submitted several hundred influenza isolates from its repository to this project and the collaboration is ongoing. Hundreds of specimens containing the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus have now also been submitted and the sequences uploaded. Data analyses of subsets of all of these viruses have generated a better understanding of circulating clades of influenza virus and influenza evolution. For more information on this project please go to the NIAID website.