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As announced in the Executive Budget Briefing Book

On the heels of receiving the 2017 Diagnostic Virology Award, an international career achievement award, Dr. Kirsten St. George, Chief of the Laboratory of Viral Diseases, was presented with the Alumni Award from the University of South Australia (UniSA) in Adelaide.

Newborn screening specimens are now tested for exposure to HIV using a new first-tier HIV screening immunoassay and a new second-tier HIV-1 / HIV-2 supplemental immunoassay. This new assay has several benefits including the ability to identify newborns exposed to HIV-2. More information is available in the letter to health care providers and on the Screened Disorders page under Human Immunodeficiency Virus.

Each year, Wadsworth Center’s Arbovirology Laboratory undertakes the seasonal surveillance of mosquitoes for arboviral pathogens. Surveillance is important for control of vector-borne viruses. First, it tells us which mosquito species are present and where. Different species are capable of transmitting different pathogens, so this is crucial information. Second, it allows us to know exactly which pathogens are being carried by the mosquitoes present. Together, this informs the public, informs mosquito control efforts, and alerts physicians.

This colorful crustacean comes to us as part of a larger research investigation into environmental exposures among the Upstate New York Chinese community. The NIH-funded, home-based study looked at some unique cultural foods, personal care products, and traditional Chinese medications as potential sources of exposure to toxic metals and metalloids.

The stuff we carry around says a lot about us. If I were to dump my purse right now, you'd find a shell from my last trip to the ocean, a garnet from a hike up north and a penny pressed from an amusement park. Bacteria tell us a lot about themselves from the stuff (genes) they carry around as well. Just as you can tell where I've been from the contents of my purse, scientists can tell where bacteria have been from the contents of their genes.

Wadsworth Center's Antibiotic Resistance (AR) Regional Laboratory was chosen by CDC as one of four labs in the AR Lab Network to serve as a pilot site, "printing" with new drugs rather than ink, in order to find the most effective antibiotic.

Magnitude of Disease Impact Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) is a group of closely related and very important pathogens, infecting a quarter of the world’s population; New York State ranks 3rd in the nation for highest number of cases, approximately 800 new cases diagnosed per year.

In commemoration of the organization’s twentieth anniversary, the Hunter’s Hope Foundation presented Wadsworth Center’s Dr. Orsini and Duke University School of Medicine’s Dr. Kurtzberg with the Legacy of Hope Award. Co-recipients in the area of science and medicine were recognized for their contributions to newborn screening and the work of the organization during the 2018 Hunter’s Hope Family and Medical Symposium.

Merck's ILÚM Health Solutions Will Invest up to $48 Million and Create up to 115 New Jobs Over Five Years    

This brings the number of disorders, for which every child in New York State may be screened, to more than 50. Fact Sheets for the three new disorders:

We are seeking an outstanding scientist at the Assistant or Associate Professor level to establish a competitive, grant-funded research program. Research areas of specific interest include studies on basic biological processes in bacteria, and mechanisms of bacterial pathogenesis and antimicrobial resistance. Applicants employing innovative, cutting-edge techniques to these areas are especially encouraged to apply.

Governor Cuomo Announces New Public-Private Research Collaboration to Advance Diagnosis and Treatment of Tick-Borne Diseases

Why A just-released CDC report concluded that disease caused by tick, mosquito and flea bites more than tripled in the US between 2004 and 2016, and that 9 new diseases were either discovered or detected here for the first time during that same period.West Nile virus - just one example

After receiving the Nobel Prize in Chemistry this fall, Dr. Joachim Frank recently returned, engaging local scientists. Watch the video of Dr. Frank's presentation.   Read the Times Union article about the event.

Times Union article about Dr. Joachim Frank, Nobel laureate and former Wadsworth Center research scientist.

Wadsworth Center's Virology Laboratory contributes results of influenza type/subtype identification as well as antiviral resistance testing to the Weekly Influenza Surveillance Report compiled by the New York State Department of Health. 

What can this tool do for me? It can tell you which labs perform a certain test, the name of the labs and where they are located. You can find tests performed within a given category for each approved lab and which sample type those tests can be performed on. Explore the new laboratory developed test search tool.

A new algorithm for cystic fibrosis screening is in place for specimens received and tested as of December 1, 2017.  These changes will reduce the number of CF referrals requiring follow-up testing.

2017 marks the first year the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL), in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has sponsored fellows in the Antimicrobial Resistance Track.Per the sponsors, “The fellowship’s mission is to introduce scientists to public health laboratory science while building the workforce needed to detect and respond to existing and emerging forms of [antibiotic resistance] AR.”