Microbial Diseases Laboratory Services
The Microbial Disease Laboratory (MDL) Branch is part of the Division of
Communicable Disease Control (DCDC), Center for Infectious Diseases (CID),
California Department of Public Health (CDPH). MDL supports State and local
public health programs for the prevention and control of communicable diseases.
The laboratory plays a key role in the epidemiologic investigations of disease
outbreaks, and in providing reference diagnostic services to the local public
health laboratories at county or city level. Additionally, the laboratory is a
designated facility for the testing of the Select Agents, and training of future
public health microbiologists.
MDL has in-house personnel skilled in both traditional methods such as
microbial cultures, biochemical profiles and serological typing as well as in
nucleotide sequencing, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction,
chromosomal typing, multiplex-beads assay system, and MALDI-TOF. Specimens are
usually accepted from other public health laboratories and by prior
authorization from other sources. The test turnaround times vary with different
assays and the result is reported directly to the submitter. The business hours
are from 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. Monday through Friday. The laboratory observes
all State holidays.