With headquarters in Tallahassee and three laboratories, with the central laboratory in Jacksonville and the two branch laboratories in Miami and Tampa, the Florida Department of Health’s Public Health Laboratories provides service statewide and provides information to over 20 federal and state agencies, 500 licensed clinical laboratories, and 450 certified environmental laboratories.
Florida’s public health laboratories are on the forefront to detect new and emerging pathogens.
Testing Services by Location
Jacksonville Lab
The Bureau of Public Health Laboratories in Jacksonville was established in 1903 and is the central laboratory.
The laboratory is located on the northern side of downtown Jacksonville, just off I-95 along the banks of Hogans Creek.
Services Provided
Mycobacteriology Testing (Clinical Specimens or Isolates)
- AFB Smear and Culture (Monday – Friday)
- Nucleic Acid Amplification for TB (real-time PCR), Respiratory Specimens, (Monday – Friday)
- AFB Culture for Identification (Referred Isolate)
- TB Drug Susceptibility (Referred Isolate – performed on M. tuberculosis complex isolates only)
Virology Testing
- SARS-CoV-2
- Respiratory virus and norovirus surveillance (real-time PCR)
- Esoteric for viruses such as measles, mumps, rubella, varicella zoster, MERS coronavirus, and enterovirus D68 (real-time PCR)
- Arbovirus diseases, including west nile, zika, dengue, chikungunya, eastern equine (real-time PCR and ELISA)
- Rabies in animal brain tissue (DFA)
- Tick-borne diseases, including rocky mountain spotted fever and ehrlichia
Serology Testing
- Gonorrhea and Chlamydia
- Trichomonas vaginalis
- Mycoplasma genitalium
- Hepatitis
- Syphilis
- Rubella
Retrovirology
- HIV screening tests
- HIV patient management testing
- HIV genotyping
Environmental Microbiology Testing
- Well water
- Non-potable water
Clinical Microbiology
- Bacteriology testing
- Parasitology testing
Molecular Testing
- Molecular testing for surveillance and drug resistance monitoring
Newborn Screening
- Provide laboratory testing for over 30 core conditions and over 20 secondary conditions
Chemical Threat Testing
- One of 10 Level 1 CT laboratories in the nation
- Capability to perform testing on human specimens for chemical terrorism agents
- Provide training to providers
Biological Threat Testing
- Clinical BT sample testing
- Environmental BT sample testing
Laboratory Management
Susanne Crowe, DrPH, MHA, HCLD (ABB)
Laboratory Director and CLIA Director
904-791-1550
Mary Ritchie, PhD, HCLD (ABB)
Assistant Laboratory Director
904-791-1767
Miami Lab
The Bureau of Public Health Laboratories in Miami was established in 1914.
The lab is located in Miami’s Health District, also known as Civic Center, just southwest of the Miami VA Healthcare System, University of Miami Health System, and Jackson Memorial Hospital.
Services Provided
Virology Testing
- Influenza virus surveillance by (real-time PCR)
- SARS-CoV-2
- Esoteric for influenza and MERS coronavirus (real-time PCR)
- Arbovirus diseases, including zika, dengue, chikungunya (real-time PCR)
- Rabies in animal brain tissue (DFA)
Clinical Microbiology Testing
- Bacteriology
- Parasitology
Biological Threat Testing
- Clinical samples
- Environmental samples
Serology Testing
- Gonorrhea and Chlamydia
- Hepatitis
- Syphilis
- HIV
Environmental Microbiology Testing
- Well water
- Non-potable water
Laboratory Management
Xihui Newman, PhD, HCLD (ABB)
Laboratory Director
305-325-2533
Elesi Quaye BS, FIBMS, RM (NRCM), MCM (ASCP)
Assistant Laboratory Director
305-325-2536
Mary Ritchie, PhD, HCLD (ABB)
CLIA Director
904-791-1767
Tampa Lab
The Bureau of Public Health Laboratories in Tampa was established in 1910, now located on campus near the southwest corner of the University of South Florida in Northeast Tampa.
The laboratory is located a bit southeast of James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital and Shriners Hospitals for Children Tampa and a short distance south of H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center.
Services Provided
Virology Testing
- SARS-CoV-2
- Respiratory virus and norovirus surveillance (real-time PCR)
- Esoteric for viruses such as measles, mumps, varicella zoster, MERS coronavirus, and enterovirus D68 (real-time PCR)
- Characterization of genomes for adenovirus, enterovirus, hepatitis A virus, influenza virus, norovirus, and SARS-CoV-2 by next generation sequencing and sanger sequencing
- Arbovirus diseases, including zika, dengue (real-time PCR and ELISA)
- Sentinel chicken arbovirus surveillance by HAI, ELISA, and PRNT
Clinical Microbiology Testing
- Bacteriology
- Parasitology
Biological Threat Testing
- Clinical samples
- Environmental samples
Serology Testing
- Gonorrhea and Chlamydia
- Hepatitis
- Syphilis
Laboratory Management
Lea Heberlein, DrPH, CPH, SM (ASCP)CM, HCLD (ABB)
Laboratory Director and CLIA Director
813-233-2277
Marshall Cone, MPH, MT(AAB)
Assistant Laboratory Director
813-233-2290
Andrew Cannons, PhD, HCLD (ABB)
CLIA Director