Introduction to Public Health Laboratories
Public health laboratories focus on diseases and the health status of population groups. They perform limited diagnostic testing, reference testing, and disease surveillance. They also provide emergency response support, perform applied research, and provide training for laboratory personnel.
These materials provide an overview of public health laboratory core functions and services.
Topics
- Role and core functions of public health laboratories
- Public health laboratory system infrastructures
- Sample collection and submission procedures
Slide Presentation

These slide sets are in the public domain and may be downloaded and customized as needed by the user for informational or educational purposes. Permission from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is not required, but citation of the source is appreciated.
Suggested Citation:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Introduction to Public Health. In: Public Health 101 Series. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, CDC; 2014. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/training/publichealth101/laboratories.html.
E-learning Course

These are links to self-study e-learning courses on this topic.
Quick-Learn Lessons take 20 minutes or less to complete. Lessons are also accessible from mobile devices.
- Recognizing the Biosafety Levels
Learn how to recognize characteristics of the four biological safety levels. - Recognizing the Biosafety Levels (for CNE)
Take this course if you are a nurse seeking CNE. Learn how to recognize characteristics of the four biological safety levels. - Introduction to Public Health Laboratories Course on CDC TRAIN