Tuberculosis testing at Public Health Laboratories in Shoreline
Thursday, July 8, 2010
By Allison Cook, Communications Office
Washington State Department of Health
When you hear the word tuberculosis, you probably think of a disease that was cured nearly 70 years ago. Yes, a breakthrough drug to treat this highly-contagious infection was discovered in the 1940s, but that doesn’t mean the disease is a thing of the past.
Tuberculosis, usually called TB, is a worldwide pandemic — a disease that is present across the globe. About one third of the world’s population has been infected with the disease.
Tuberculosis is a bacterial infection that usually affects the lungs, but can attack other parts of the body. In Washington, TB rates are higher than many other states.
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In the Public Health Laboratories TB lab, more than 2,000 tuberculosis tests are performed each year. Of those, about 250 are positive for the bacterial infection, on average. TB testing can be a very long and expensive process. Specimens come in from health care providers, hospitals, and local health agencies across the state.
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All tuberculosis testing at the lab is done by skilled microbiologists. TB testing is done in a special containment area, with staff wearing masks (respirators) and other personal protective equipment because the bacteria that cause TB can be spread through the air. To keep themselves and others safe, scientists who work with the TB bacteria have been trained to carefully use specific microbiology techniques in a laboratory facility specially designed for this work.
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The need for TB testing may have been one of the reasons the state public health labs was put on the map, but the lab’s ability to do shellfish testing, newborn screening, environmental monitoring, and communicable disease testing helps ensure Washington is a safe, healthy place to live. The Washington State Public Health Laboratories is part of the Shoreline community that serves as a vital link in the public health system.
Photo credit, top to bottom: DOH, Wikimedia, DOH, Steven H. Robinson
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