Laboratory Services 

The Public Health Laboratory provides laboratory testing services to support the communicable disease control activities of the Public Health Department:

• Mycobacteriology (TB)
• Mycology (Fungi)
• Sexually transmitted diseases (HIV, Gonorrhea, Syphilis, Chlamydia)
• Parasitology (Worms, Protozoa's, Ectoparasites)
• Enteric Bacteriology (Salmonella, Shigella, etc.)
• Special Bacteriology (Whooping Cough, Cholera and other unusual pathogens of public health significance)
• Molecular Diagnosis (Influenza H1N1, Norovirus)

Laboratory Services provided to the Environmental Health Division of the Public Health Department include:

• Water Bacteriology: Drinking Water - Presence / Absence Testing for Total Coliforms and E. coli, Heterotrophic Plate Count.
• Recreational Water - MPN for Total Coliforms, E. coli and Enterococcus.
• Food Microbiology: Bacteriological analysis of food samples collected from outbreaks of food-borne illness.
• Rabies Testing: Rabies tests are performed on animal brains submitted to the laboratory by Animal Health and Regulation.

Laboratory Services provided to the local medical community:

Consultation and reference services are provided to the local medical community. The Public Health Laboratory also facilitates access to the services of the California State Department of Health Services Laboratories and CDC when necessary.