July 2024 Edition



Summer Safety in the Laboratory

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Laboratorians face an increased risk of pathogen exposure throughout the year due to the nature of their work. With the arrival of summer, it is important to be particularly vigilant about certain infectious organisms that may be more prevalent during this season.



The incidence of gastrointestinal disease-causing pathogens rise in the summer. The laboratory may encounter stools positive for Shigella, Salmonella, shigatoxin-positive E. coli, Campylobacter, and others.


Summer activities like traveling and spending time in nature can lead to exposure to rare high-consequence pathogens. Notable examples include Yersinia pestis, naturally found in parts of the western United States and transmitted among wild rodents and other animals, and Francisella tularensis, which can be transmitted by infected ticks, deer flies, and infected animals such as rodents, rabbits, and feral cats.


Nebraska Public Health Laboratory (NPHL) typically sees an increase in these pathogens during the summer.


Consequently, NPHL encourages all laboratory personnel to review and adhere to safety practices, particularly those concerning biological exposures. This is a reminder of the crucial need to maintain a clean workstation, to wash hands, and to wear gloves (and other appropriate personal protective equipment) when handling specimen containers. It’s also important to use a properly certified biological safety cabinet (BSC) during culture set up and when a particularly hazardous pathogen is suspected to avoid exposure that might occur while working on an open bench.  

Enteric Outbreaks Nebraska 2023


Nebraska Public Health Laboratory (NPHL) and the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (NE DHHS) are pleased to share Nebraska's enteric outbreak information from 2023. The collective efforts of laboratories across Nebraska, NPHL, and NE DHHS in monitoring and responding to outbreaks have been crucial in managing the public health risks associated with enteric pathogens.


Pathogens listed are Salmonella spp., Shiga-toxin producing E. coli, and Listeria monocytogenes. To see this information, click here.

New Reportable Diseases



There are three new reportable diseases that have been added to the Title 173 Reportable List. Those are Candida auris, Alpha-Gal Syndrome, and Congenital Cytomegalovirus.


If your facility tests for these, positive results need to be reported to Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services Agency. Reporting should be done in the same manner that your facility reports other diseases.

Benchtop Biohazards Workshop

Recognize, Rule Out and Refer


Ben Ayers, State Training Coordinator, and Becky Bonacci, Assistant State Training Coordinator, are preparing for the Benchtop Biohazard Workshop in September.


The workshop will be at the Mid-Plains Community College Campus in North Platte on September 5th, and in Omaha at the University of Nebraska Medical Center Campus on September 12th.


If you work in a clinical laboratory and need experience working with hazardous pathogens, please consider attending.


Please reach out to NPHL at NPHLab@unmc.edu to find out how to sign up.

CDC Packing & Shipping Class


Karen Stiles will be hosting an online training course for clinical and public health laboratory professionals who pack and ship Division 6.2 Infectious Substances and dry ice.


The course will be hosted virtually from 12pm - 4 pm CDT on August 20th & 22, 2024


This course is free and approved for 7.0 hours of P.A.C.E. credit.


To sign up go to: NPHL Packing & Shipping Dangerous Goods


The registration code for this course is: Pack&ShipNPHL


If you can't make it to the August class, don't worry, there will be classes in October and in December.

Other Upcoming Events......

The ASCP Great Plains Chapter Fall Conference


The ASCP Great Plains Chapter Fall Conference will be on Wednesday, September 18 and Thursday, September 19, 2024, at the Holthus Convention Center in Kearney, Nebraska. For more information, please click this link.

Communication Drill


The biannual Communication Drill was sent out to Nebraska laboratories on July 1st. If you have received a link and haven't filled out your survey, please do so.


If we do not have current contact information, we will be reaching out for both a primary and secondary contact.


Thank you.

NPHL Website


July Lab Advisory Meeting

Do you have something you'd like to submit for the Newsletter? Is there something you'd like presented at the Statewide Laboratory Advisory Meeting?


Email us at NPHLab@unmc.edu.

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