Public Health Laboratory
Established in 1892, the NYC Public Health Laboratory was the world's first municipal bacteriological laboratory. In the century since its first campaign to control diphtheria in NYC, the Public Health Lab has expanded to provide a variety of clinical and environmental laboratory testing services to detect and characterize disease causing organisms. Some of these services include community testing for tuberculosis and sexual health associated diseases; antibiotic resistance testing; foodborne disease investigations; outbreak response (Ebola, Legionnaires’ disease, COVID-19, mpox); whole-genome sequencing; beach water and wastewater pathogen monitoring; and biothreat agent testing.
In addition to working closely with local partners, the Public Health Lab has strong partnerships and collaborations with academic institutions, public health labs nationwide, the CDC and the NY State Department of Health Wadsworth Center.
Tests and Services
CDC’s Infectious Diseases Laboratories accepts specimens from state public health laboratories and other federal agencies for analysis. Specimens from private healthcare providers and institutions in NYC should be submitted to the NYC Public Health Laboratory (PHL) for appropriate processing.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently updated its infectious disease test directory indicating that a number of tests have been taken offline either temporarily or permanently. CDC routinely reviews the tests maintained by its laboratories as part of its commitment to laboratory quality and efficiency. As part of this review process, CDC regularly pauses some tests while reviews and changes are made. The overwhelming majority of CDC's infectious disease diagnostic tests remain online.
During periods when diagnostic tests are unavailable at CDC, they are providing guidance for alternative testing options or methods. For any diagnostic needs during this period, subject matter experts at CDC and the NYC PHL are available for consultation. Please contact NYC PHL at 212-671-5700 for any assistance navigating the CDC Test Directory.
- PHL Tests and Services Manual (PDF)
- Microbiology
- CT/NG NAAT
- Enteric Bacteriology
- General Bacteriology
- Mycobacteriology
- Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing
- Environmental Sciences and Toxicology
- Chemistry
- Microbiology
- Virology and Immunology
- HIV
- Virus Serology
- Virus Identification
- Rabies
- Biothreat Response Laboratory
- Biosafety and Outreach
- Chemical Threat Response Laboratory
General Service Information
Questions concerning the availability of tests not listed, specimen requirements, or other information should be directed to the laboratory listed below.
| Area | Phone |
|---|---|
| Microbiology | 212-671-5849 |
| Virology and Immunology | 212-671-5890 |
| Environmental Sciences and Toxicology | 212-671-5823 |
| Biothreat Response | 212-671-5834 |
| Chemical Threat | 212-671-5900 |
| General Services | 212-671-5700 |
Public Health Laboratory Submission Guidelines
To order laboratory tests electronically, visit eOrder.
Laboratory Procedures Currently Exempt from Fees
- Meningococcal isolates from blood or cerebrospinal fluid submitted for culture confirmation and serotyping.
- Meningococcal isolates from nasopharyngeal cultures or the contacts of patients with serious meningococcal infection, submitted for culture confirmation and serotyping.
- Meningococcal isolates associated with an outbreak, submitted for culture confirmation and serotyping.
- Isolates of Staphylococcus aureus associated with an outbreak, submitted for PFGE.
- Isolates of penicillinase-producing Neisseria gonorrhoeae (PPNG) submitted for confirmation.
- Isolates of Haemophilus influenza submitted for serotyping.
- Isolates of Listeria monocytogenes submitted for serotyping.
- Streptococcal isolates submitted for serotyping.
- Isolates of Corynebacterium diphtheriae submitted for culture confirmation & toxigenicity testing.
- Pharyngeal or nasopharyngeal smears submitted for identification of Bordetella pertussis by direct immunofluorescence.
- Isolates of Salmonella/Shigella submitted for confirmation & serotyping.
- Stools for culture from patients or food handlers involved in outbreaks of diarrheal diseases, if requested by the Health Department Bureaus of Environmental Investigation or Communicable Diseases.
- Any outbreak related isolates for PFGE typing (prior arrangements need to be made by contracting the Molecular Typing Laboratory).
- Isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis for susceptibility testing.
- Respiratory specimens which are first-time smear positive for acid fast bacilli, submitted for MTD assay.
- Rabies diagnostic tests.
- Viral & rickettsial diagnostic tests for outbreak-related specimens submitted through the Bureaus of Communicable Diseases or Immunization Diseases.
- Clinical and environmental specimens associated with potential botulism cases are submitted (after approval by the Bureau of Communicable Diseases) for the assay and identification of botulinal toxins.
- Isolates submitted for BT testing and subsequently identified either as BT or other pathogens.
- eOrder User Guide (PDF)
- Mpox Testing at the NYC Public Health Lab (PDF)
- COVID-19 Testing at the NYC Public Health Lab (PDF)
- NYS/NYC Laboratory Guidelines for Handling Specimens from Patients with Suspected or Confirmed Ebola Virus Disease (PDF)
- NYS/NYC Guidance for Laboratory Testing and Management of PUIs for Ebola Virus Disease in Non-Designated Hospitals (PDF)