Laboratory Response Network

<h2 id="levels">Levels</h2>
<p>The LRN consists of a loose  network of government labs at three levels:<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:1" href="#fn:1"><sup>1</sup></a>
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<h3>Sentinel Laboratories</h3>
<p>These laboratories, found in many hospitals and local public health facilities, have the ability to rule out specific bioterrorism threat agents, to handle specimens safely, and to forward specimens to higher-level labs within the network.
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<h3>Reference Laboratories</h3>
<p>These laboratories (more than 100), typically found at <a href="/facts/State_health_department/mRaacF0e">state health departments</a> and at military, veterinary, agricultural, and water-testing facilities, can rule on the presence of the various biological threat agents. They can use <a href="/facts/BSL-3/Akgr5nIf">BSL-3</a> practices and can often conduct <a href="/facts/Polymerase_chain_reaction/G0jWzJy1">nucleic acid amplification</a> and molecular typing studies.
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<h3>National Laboratories</h3>
<p>These laboratories, including those at CDC and <a href="/facts/U.S._Army_Medical_Research_Institute_of_Infectious_Diseases/VhAfHYSD">U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases</a> (USAMRIID), can use <a href="/facts/BSL-4/Akgr5nIf">BSL-4</a> practices and serve as the final authority in the evaluation of potential bioterrorism specimens. They provide specialized reagents to lower level laboratories and have the ability to bank specimens, perform serotyping, and detect <a href="/facts/Genetic_recombination/uocNH0m7">genetic recombinants</a> and <a href="/facts/Chimera_(genetics)/xs4NDyLP">chimeras</a>.
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<h2 id="see-also">See also</h2>
<ul><li><a href="/facts/BioWatch/2D8rUQPC">BioWatch</a></li></ul>

<h2 id="references">References</h2>

<ol>
<li id="fn:1"><p>Cieslak, Theodore J. and George W. Christopher (2007), "Medical Management of Potential Biological Casualties: A Stepwise Approach", In: Dembek, Zygmunt F. (2007), Medical Aspects of Biological Warfare Archived 2012-08-27 at the Wayback Machine, (Series: Textbooks of Military Medicine), Washington, DC: The Borden Institute, pg 457. <a href="http://www.bordeninstitute.army.mil/published_volumes/biological_warfare/biological.html" target="_blank">http://www.bordeninstitute.army.mil/published_volumes/biological_warfare/biological.html</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
</ol>

Laboratory Response Network open-in-new

Laboratory Response Network