Medical Laboratory Professionals Week Turned 50 in 2025

Each April, we take time to recognize the unsung heroes behind the scenes of healthcare — our medical laboratory professionals. Medical Laboratory Professionals Week, celebrated nationwide, is a chance to spotlight the critical role laboratorians play in diagnosing, treating, and preventing disease.

First established in 1975 as National Medical Laboratory Week by the American Society for Medical Technology — now the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science (ASCLS) — this week has grown into a powerful reminder of the skill, dedication, and innovation within the laboratory field.

Over the past 50 years, the profession has transformed dramatically. Gone are the days of mouth pipetting and handwritten index cards. Today’s laboratories utilize advanced automation, high-throughput testing platforms, and interconnected laboratory information systems that transmit life-saving data in seconds. These innovations have elevated both accuracy and efficiency, helping clinicians make faster, better-informed decisions for their patients.

Here at the Nebraska Public Health Laboratory (NPHL), we want to extend our heartfelt thanks to all laboratory professionals — whether you're processing patient specimens, managing data, ensuring quality, or keeping our instruments running. Your expertise and commitment to excellence make a difference every single day.

Measles Collection Guidance

In conjunction with last month's article on measles, and in light of the ongoing measles outbreaks across the United States, the Nebraska Public Health Laboratory (NPHL), has developed a guidance document for the proper collection of specimens for measles testing.

Please click on both the guidance document and the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services Health Alert below:

Ensuring Laboratory Safety: Handling Francisella tularensis with Caution

Introduction

Francisella tularensis is a highly infectious, Gram-negative bacterium that causes tularemia, a zoonotic disease with potentially severe consequences. It is endemic to Nebraska, making it a concern for laboratories handling environmental and clinical specimens. Classification as a Tier 1 Select Agent by the Cenders for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and a low infectious dose require that laboratory personnel follow stringent biosafety protocols when handling suspected or confirmed specimens.

Transmission and Risks

F. tularensis is highly infectious. Human infections can occur via inhalation, direct contact, ingestion, or arthropod bites. In Nebraska, transmission often occurs through contact with infected rabbits or bites from contaminated ticks and deer flies. In a laboratory setting, the greatest risk stems from aerosol generation, which can lead to inhalational tularemia, a severe form of the disease. Laboratory-acquired infections (LAIs) have been reported, often resulting from inadequate safety measures or accidental exposures.

Biosafety Measures

To mitigate risks, laboratories should implement the following biosafety precautions:

• If a technologist reads a Gram stain from a sterile site, and reports "no organisms seen," the cultures should be taped shut and read daily in a Biosafety Cabinet until they are reported as negative on the final day.
•  Use Biosafety Level 3 practices in a Biosafety Level 2 laboratory: 
• If a laboratory technologist suspects they are working with a possible F. tularensis, all work should be performed inside an up-to-date certified Class II Biosafety Cabinet (BSC) to prevent aerosol exposure.
• It is recommended that a MALDI-ToF not be used for identification of suspected F. tularensis.
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): 
• Laboratory personnel must wear proper personal protective equipment, per their laboratory policies. 
• Strict Decontamination Procedures: 
• After use, all work surfaces and equipment should be disinfected with appropriate agents (e.g., fresh 10% bleach or 70% ethanol). 
• Autoclave or incinerate all biohazardous waste.
•  Proper Sample Handling and Transport: 
• Clinical specimens suspected of containing F. tularensis should be handled using leak-proof containers and presumptive isolates should be to the Nebraska Public Health Laboratory for confirmation testing using Category A shipping materials. 

Conclusion

Due to a high infectivity and potential to cause severe illness, F. tularensis requires rigorous biosafety measures in laboratory settings. Since it is endemic to Nebraska, awareness among local laboratorians is especially crucial. By adhering to established protocols, lab personnel can minimize the risk of exposure and ensure a safe working environment.  

First Region VII Laboratory Workgroup Meeting

The first Region VII Laboratory Workgroup Meeting was held on Thursday, April 24. This workgroup includes representatives from Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, and Missouri.

Jackson Gruber opened the meeting by presenting the group’s goals and objectives:

Goals:

• Foster relationships among states and facilities within Region VII to strengthen regional laboratory preparedness.
• Establish a forum where laboratorians and healthcare facilities can directly engage with public health laboratories on special pathogens preparedness.

Objectives:

• Educate laboratorians and healthcare facilities in Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, and Missouri on the nuances of special pathogen preparedness and outbreak readiness.
• Provide ongoing training and educational opportunities related to laboratory processes.
• Keep regional partners informed of updates to state testing menus and changes in specimen shipping procedures.

Following introductions, the state training coordinators from each state shared updates and discussion points on highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) and measles.

If you’re interested in joining this quarterly workgroup, please email nphlab@unmc.edu for more information.

Reminder: Prepare for Weather-Related Emergencies

As we approach storm season, it is a good time to review and update your laboratory’s emergency surge plans. Power outages and severe weather can disrupt normal operations, delay testing, and jeopardize specimen integrity.

Please take time to revisit your plan, perform drills if possible, and verify contact information for all key personnel.