The Frontlines of Public Health

As the University Hygienic Laboratory (UHL) looks back on more than 100 years of service to Iowa, and importantly, to Iowans, the evolution is astonishing.

In 1904, Iowa's public health and environmental lab was staffed by three individuals whose handwritten log reflects testing throughout the state for diseases of the day: typhoid, diphtheria, rabies and tuberculosis.

Today, some 200 individuals work from two labs in Iowa City and Ankeny; their testing results now logged in computer database formats for easy Internet access by partner labs and clients. While the list of diseases UHL tests for has grown exponentially, including now such national and global maladies as HIV, Lyme disease and West Nile Virus, diseases of the day are certainly not now the singular concern of the laboratory. Identifying problems before they arise has become a priority for the lab as well.

Every Iowan under 40 who was born in the state was screened as a newborn for an ever-increasing list of defects and abnormalities. Through that program alone, UHL has touched the lives of nearly two-thirds of residents today.

As citizens not only of Iowa but also of a growing and global community, we face concerns today never dreamt of by our centennial predecessors. Terrorism disquiets our hearts and calls for response. Along with our counterparts at such agencies as the Food and Drug Administration, the Iowa Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), UHL has taken its place in that response, having established a structure to provide rapid and effective laboratory services in case of disaster.

In October 2001, UHL collaborated with CDC and other public health officials to create the Laboratory Response Network (LRN). The LRN proved effective in the anthrax attack, and is a testament to UHL cooperation and success in emergency preparedness.

In our own backyards, the UHL plays out its role as the state's environmental laboratory. The lab tests water, air, soil and just about anything else that may affect the health of our neighbors. From our work with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources in providing real-time air quality data and analysis of state park beaches for bacteria, to water testing for concerned private well owners, the Iowa we live in is just as much of a focus for the UHL as the Iowans who live here.

http://uhl.uiowa.edu

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• hygienic laboratory
• uhl
• iowa
• public health