Bioterrorism/Special Pathogens Program

Laboratory response network

Bio-hazard symbol

The Alaska State Public Health Laboratory-Anchorage (ASPHL) serves as the primary Reference Laboratory for the Laboratory Response Network, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). ASPHL has the ability to perform rapid and conventional detection and confirmatory methods for biothreat agents of concern on clinical (human and animal) environmental, and food specimens.

Lab Worker

Contact Info: 907-334-2100 (business hours)
or 1-855-222-0957 (after hours contact)

ASPHL serves as a Food Emergency Response Network member laboratory.

ASPHL has established a Statewide Laboratory Response Plan. The plan provides the framework for interactions among clinical Sentinel Laboratories, non-clinical laboratories, and field screening laboratories for the timely laboratory-based detection and identification of biothreat agents in Alaska. ASPHL provides training, resources, and information to Sentinel Laboratories.

In coordination with the CDC and the Association of Public Health Laboratories, the American Society for Microbiology developed protocols designed to assist clinical laboratories with information and techniques to rule-out microorganisms that might be suspected as agents of bioterrorism, or to refer specimens to public health laboratories for confirmation. The Sentinel Level Clinical Microbiology Laboratory Guidelines offer standardized, practical methods to aid microbiologists in ruling out critical agents and referring specimens to LRN reference laboratories for confirmation.

Learn more about Bioterrorism/Special Pathogens