The Wadsworth Center maintains extensive scientific core facilities in support of its investigators and their collaborators. These facilities provide expertise and access to specialized equipment and services, advise investigators and help them in using the equipment, and train junior researchers in the latest technologies. Each core is headed by a scientist expert in the core’s particular instrumentation and techniques. Some also provide hands-on training for students and postdocs.
The Laboratory of Viral Diseases (LVD) encompasses a diverse service and research program for viral diseases of public health importance. Efforts include those for surveillance, outbreak investigation, special disease and emerging pathogen detection, reference testing, pandemic preparedness and response, the development and investigation of new testing methodologies, the investigation of viral infections and their associated pathogenesis and disease, and the education and training of graduate students and fellows.
The Rabies Laboratory, located at the Wadsworth Center’s Griffin Laboratory in Guilderland, provides New York State with rabies-related laboratory services. Testing performed by the laboratory includes:
- Animal specimen testing
- Human serology testing
- Ante- and post-mortem testing
Additional studies involve:
The Wadsworth Center Parasitology Laboratory is the New York State public health reference laboratory for parasitic infections. Laboratory responsibilities include:
- Clinical diagnosis utilizing various diagnostic methods
- Development of molecular assays for pathogenic parasite detection
Scientists in the Parasitology Laboratory also pursue research questions while collaborating with colleagues both inside the NYSDOH and with outside universities and private laboratories.
The Mycology Laboratory serves as a comprehensive reference facility for all NYSDOH licensed clinical laboratories including: hospitals, academic medical centers, county health departments and commercial laboratories.
The laboratory houses a fungal culture collection repository, an outstanding resource for assay development, distribution and sale.
Around the world, tuberculosis is responsible for over one million deaths per year. The recent emergence of multi- and extensively drug resistant strains (MDR and XDR, respectively) represents a threat to public health worldwide, particularly when associated with HIV.
The Bloodborne Viruses Laboratory (BVL) focuses on clinical and public health laboratory activities related to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV). The BVL is involved in a wide range of testing, surveillance, and applied research activities. Laboratory services include:
The Wadsworth Center Bacteriology Laboratory serves as the New York State public health reference laboratory for bacterial identification and research. The laboratory is responsible for the identification of bacterial pathogens of public health significance as well as collaboration with New York State and New York City epidemiologists across multiple areas. The laboratory is involved in a wide range of testing, surveillance, and applied research activities.
Arbovirus is a term used to refer to a group of viruses that are transmitted by arthropod vectors. New York is host to a number of endemic mosquito-borne arboviruses which include West Nile virus introduced in 1999, Eastern equine encephalitis virus, Jamestown Canyon virus, La Crosse virus, Trivittatus virus, South River virus, Potosi virus, Cache Valley virus and Highlands J virus. New York is also home to the tick-borne Powassan and Deer Tick viruses.
Complaints NOT reviewed by this office
- Hospital, diagnostic, ambulatory surgical, dialysis and treatment centers, and primary care clinic issues in New York State are reported to the Department of Health.
- Billing issues, including consumer health care rights and billing, are reported to the Attorney General's Office Health Care Bureau.
- Insurance issues, including health insurance products