Public Health and Environmental Laboratories

The Newborn Screening laboratory is mandated to test all newborns in New Jersey for 54 different inheritable disorders. More about the Newborn Screening Program

How to Collect and Submit Dried Blood Spots for Newborn Screening

Clinical laboratory directors (or designees) are required to submit the following organisms/specimens for outbreak/surveillance testing to PHEL within 3 days of identification:

• Salmonella spp.
• Shigella spp.
• Shiga toxin positive stools submitted in either Cary-Blair or GNB broth
• Escherichia coli, shiga toxin producing isolates
• Listeria monocytogenes
• Haemophilus influenzae isolated from cerebrospinal fluid, blood, or any other normally sterile site
• Neisseria meningitidis isolated from cerebrospinal fluid, blood, or any other normally sterile site
• Vibrio spp.

The Communicable Disease Service must be contacted by phone 609-826-5964 or 609-392-2020 (after hours) for approval to submit:

• Bacillus anthracis
• Brucella spp.
• Franciscella tularensis
• Burkholderia mallei
• Burkholderia pseudomallei

BioThreat Response Laboratory
Packaging and Shipping Infectious Substances Page

The NJDOH Communicable Disease Service may request cultures or clinical specimens from healthcare facilities for testing other organisms on a case-by-case basis.

Physicians may request testing for other organisms on a case by case basis.

For specimen/isolate handling, storage, shipping guidance, and for inquiries regarding the availability of testing at PHEL, CDC, or other Public Health Laboratories, please contact PHEL at 609-530-8387 Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 4 PM.

For questions regarding reportable communicable diseases, contact the Communicable Disease Service at 609-826-5964 Monday through Friday 8 AM to 5 PM.

If questions pertain to HIV/AIDS Please call 609-984-5940 or 973-648-7500

If questions pertain to Sexually Transmitted Diseases please call 609-826-4869

If questions pertain to Tuberculosis please call 609-826-4878