The Wadsworth Center Virology Laboratory is one of four public health laboratories in the United States contracted through a competitive process to perform diagnostic testing for viral VPDs using standardized methods developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 

The Virology Laboratory works closely with the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL_[1]) and the CDC_[2] to provide quality testing to other public health laboratories and public health departments free of charge. 

The Virology Laboratory currently provides measles, mumps, rubella and varicella-zoster virus rRT-PCR for detection and conventional RT-PCR for genotyping.

Sites outside of New York interested in enrolling as a submitting laboratory are encouraged to contact Kelly.wroblewski@aphl.org_[3] at APHL.

Test Menu

Virus	Real-Time PCR	Molecular Genotyping*	Preferred Sample Type(s)	All Validated Sample Type(s)**	Notes
Measles virus	X	X	NPS or combined NPS/OPS, or urine	URS and urine	Please notify your local health dept. prior to submission
Mumps virus	X	X	Buccal swab	Buccal swab	Please notify your local health dept. prior to submission
Rubella virus	X	X	NPS or combined NPS/OPS, or urine	URS and urine	Please notify your local health dept. prior to submission
Varicella zoster virus	X	X	Lesion swab	Lesion swab, brain tissue, CSF and genital swabs	DO NOT FREEZE; Please notify your local health dept. prior to submission

*Available upon request for special circumstances

**Submission of a different sample will require a Non-permitted Laboratory Test Form_[4].

Contact Information for the Vaccine Preventable Disease Reference Center at Wadsworth Center:

Patrick Bryant, Ph.D., Director
P: (518) 474-4177
F: (518) 473-1326