APHL promotes the role of state and local public health laboratories and agricultural laboratories in the detection and characterization of foodborne pathogens. APHL works with member laboratories to ensure robust surveillance and outbreak detection and prevention activities. APHL advances laboratory practice by:
- Increasing the competence of laboratory staff
- Improving the capabilities of member laboratories
- Strengthening the defensibility of results
APHL achieves these goals by working with federal partners at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),
US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the US Department of Agriculture Food Safety Inspection Service.
Supporting Molecular Surveillance for Enteric Diseases
APHL supports members who participate in
PulseNet, GenomeTrakr,
CaliciNet and
CryptoNet to ensure robust surveillance of key foodborne pathogens. Through training and technical support, APHL enhances laboratory capacity, ensuring the timely submission of high quality data to national surveillance databases. APHL supported the transition and adoption of next generation methods and assists with implementation and troubleshooting issues that may be present.
Robust molecular surveillance is essential for the early detection and prevention of enteric disease outbreaks. Programs like PulseNet and GenomeTrakr have demonstrated significant returns on investment by enhancing our ability to trace and respond to foodborne pathogens.
A study evaluating the FDA’s GenomeTrakr Whole Genome Sequencing Network highlighted its effectiveness in improving food safety through precise source tracking of contamination events. By investing in and expanding such molecular surveillance initiatives, we can better protect public health and mitigate the impact of enteric diseases.
Improving Foodborne Outbreak Investigations
Working through the
Council to Improve Foodborne Outbreak Response (CIFOR), APHL maintains a strong role in enhancing communication and collaboration across the disciplines involved in investigating foodborne illness outbreaks. APHL has led the production of several tools and resources, including the Food Safety Programs Reference Guide.
Enabling Defensible, High-quality Data
APHL and our members recognize that for laboratory data to fulfill its purpose, it must inform regulatory policy and actions, be viewed in the context of on-going disease, and be available as the basis for population-based burden of illness studies and trends analysis. APHL has led the development of several resources intended to support the defensibility of laboratory data:
Providing Career-spanning Training
APHL, in collaboration with
FDA's Office of Training Education and Development and a team of subject matter experts, has created a competency-based
curriculum framework for human and animal food laboratory professionals. This career-spanning framework includes four professional levels (entry, mid, expert and director) and delineates the content areas where laboratory professionals must demonstrate knowledge, skills, abilities, behaviors and attributes to perform their roles effectively.
The curriculum framework supports training development, career advancement, competency assessment and the cataloging of existing training resources. This is all in part of FDA's
IFSS Regulatory and Laboratory Training efforts to equip the integrated workforce with the essential competencies for effective job performance. Currently, competency-based training courses are under development to address knowledge gaps and enhance the workforce readiness. These courses can be found in the
APHL's Learning Center.