Public Health and Environmental Laboratories performs 140,000 tests a year across a wide range of disciplines and including both culture and non-culture procedures:
- The Enteric and Foodborne Unit performs investigations of foodborne outbreaks, as well as routine identification of Salmonella, Shigella, E.coli O157, and Shiga-Toxin positive E.coli. Isolates sent by clinical and commercial laboratories are cultured and identified prior to sequencing. The unit performs whole genome sequencing for incorporation in the CDC's national database for foodborne outbreak detection (PulseNet). Currently the laboratory performs sequencing of E. coli, Shigella, Salmonella, Listeria and Vibrio species.
- The Sanitary Bacteriology Unit analyzes potable and non-potable waters for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, State Parks and the Department of Consumer Health. The Laboratory also tests dairy products produced by New Jersey dairies.
- The Special Bacteriology Laboratory performs serotyping of Haemophilus influenzae and Neisseria meningitis from normally sterile body sites and fluids working in conjunction with the vaccine preventable disease program. The staff also perform antibiotic susceptibility testing for various organisms such as Acinetobacter, Enterobacterales and Pseudomonas species, as well as Candida auris. See submission guidelines for these organisms to the right.
