Trust for America’s Health Report:
Public Health and Clinical Laboratories Need to be Ready for New Disease Threats

When it comes to detecting and responding to disease outbreaks, more than half of the U.S. scores a five or lower out of 10 on a readiness scale, according to a new report from the Trust for America’s Health (TFAH). The document also makes a number of recommendations for public health laboratories. The report, entitled "Outbreaks: Protecting Americans from Infectious Diseases," calls on states to maintain and modernize basic capabilities such as epidemiology and lab abilities needed to respond to new and ongoing outbreaks. "Public health labs must have the staff and capabilities to rapidly detect and test for potential infectious disease outbreaks. Quickly understanding where an outbreak is occurring—or about to occur—is key to preventing or controlling an outbreak," Rich Hamburg, deputy director of TFAH, told National Intelligence Report. As to clinical labs, staff must be trained to ensure familiarity and adherence with protocols for handling, packaging and preparing dangerous pathogens and waste for transport, TFAH said. New Disease Threats Deserve Attention New national infectious disease threats deserving a redoubling of professional efforts are: MERs-CoV and antibiotic-resistant superbugs and resurging illnesses including whooping cough, tuberculosis and gonorrhea, TFAH said in a statement. "Health care professional societies and unions, hospital…