The Public Health and Environmental Laboratories (PHEL) participates in a statewide surveillance network to test arthropod vectors such as ticks and mosquitos for human pathogens. This network is made up of stakeholders including PHEL, the Communicable Disease Services (CDS), the NJ State Mosquito Control Commission, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), and County Mosquito Control Agencies (CMCAs).
The molecular virology unit at PHEL provides surveillance testing of field-collected mosquito and tick samples for pathogens of public health importance in order to monitor prevalence of disease. This testing is an important tool for monitoring seasonal transmission of pathogens among vector populations and enables targeted vector control to prevent transmission of disease. The testing data generated from environmental surveillance is submitted to both state partners and national disease monitoring databases. The laboratory works with county mosquito control entities as well as state epidemiologists to provide comprehensive arboviral and tickborne disease surveillance for the state of New Jersey. The laboratory uses multiplex PCR panels to test for eight mosquito-borne viruses and eleven tick-borne diseases in samples submitted to PHEL. Data generated from this testing is submitted to both state and federal partners as well as national disease monitoring databases.
