Governmental and Institutional

The Wyoming Public Health Laboratory (WPHL) is the diagnostic hub of the public health support network for both the state’s health care providers and the citizens of Wyoming, providing 108,000 sqft. of diverse laboratory services & testing over 80,000 samples yearly, to assure protection for the health of our communities. The WPHL serves as the state’s advanced level diagnostic facility to alert physicians and epidemiologists to outbreaks, provide technical advice, recognize disease patterns and new pathogens. The WPHL consists of specialized testing sections including Chemical Testing, Microbiology Testing, and the Bioterrorism Response Laboratories.

BIOTERRORISM RESPONSE LABORATORY
The Bioterrorism Response Laboratory (BRL) has a comprehensive statewide laboratory response program that provides Wyoming with the infrastructure necessary to respond to bioterrorism threats and emerging infectious diseases. The Bioterrorism Response Laboratory is the only Biosafety Level 3 laboratory in the state that is CLIA regulated and capable of performing confirmatory testing for bioterrorism agents in humans. The BRL is a confirmatory level member of the Laboratory Response Network, a national coalition of laboratories with designated response capabilities working jointly with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This laboratory response program model ensures surge capacity for any disease outbreak and enhances the WPHL’s ability to respond to emerging infectious diseases such as H1N1 Flu, West Nile Virus, and SARS.

MICROBIOLOGY TESTING LABORATORY
The Microbiology Section of the Wyoming Public Health Laboratory is comprised of specialized laboratory areas including Bacteriology, Parasitology, Mycobacteriology, Serology, Diagnostic Immunology, Environmental Microbiology, and Molecular Testing. These laboratories are dedicated to provide testing services to the state of Wyoming & its citizens to identify, track, control, and prevent infectious diseases. Associations with state agencies, county & city groups, and national professional entities ensures that citizens of Wyoming receive state-of-the-art testing services from the Microbiology Laboratory. Cooperative associations include; Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), WY City/County Health Departments, health care providers and medical laboratories, schools, County Coroners, EPA, WY DEQ, and other state labs such as the Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory, Wyoming Department of Agriculture Laboratory, and the Wyoming Game & Fish Department Laboratory.

CHEMICAL TESTING LABORATORY
The Chemical Testing Laboratory of the Wyoming Public Health Laboratory is comprised of the Drug Toxicology and Alcohol Testing sections. Drug and alcohol testing is done under the authority of WS 31-6-105(a). The Drug Toxicology lab is responsible for testing biological samples for controlled and non-controlled substances, while the Alcohol Testing lab performs testing for blood alcohol. In addition to the analytical services provided, the Alcohol Testing Section is responsible for the certification and maintenance of breath alcohol testing instrumentation, procedures, and breath test operators statewide, as well as providing training through the Wyoming Law Enforcement Academy and to individual agencies. Analysts are subpoenaed to testify in court statewide as expert witnesses regarding the analyses performed.