Laboratory Professionals

CDC accepts specimens from state public health laboratories and other federal agencies for analysis. Specimens from private healthcare providers and institutions must be submitted to the local state health department laboratory (state, county, city) for appropriate processing.

Specimen management activities at CDC include the receipt, categorization, and distribution of specimens from public health facilities to CDC laboratories for reference diagnostic testing and research studies. State-of-the-art technology is used to provide data and information summaries that are crucial in the assessment of public health trends and epidemic dynamics on a national scale.