A 15 Year Evaluation of West Nile Virus in Wisconsin: Effects on Wildlife and Human Health.

West Nile virus (WNV) is the most important and widespread mosquito-borne virus in the United States (U.S.).

Newborn screening for severe combined immunodeficiency in 11 screening programs in the United States.

Importance: Newborn screening for severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) using assays to detect T-cell receptor excision circles (TRECs) began in Wisconsin in 2008, and SCID was added to the national recommended uniform panel for newborn screened disorders in 2010. Currently 23 states, the District of Columbia, and the Navajo Nation conduct population-wide newborn screening for SCID. The incidence of SCID is estimated at 1 in 100,000 births.

The laboratory efficiencies initiative: partnership for building a sustainable national public health laboratory system.

Beginning in early 2011, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Association of Public Health Laboratories launched the Laboratory Efficiencies Initiative (LEI) to help public health laboratories (PHLs) and the nation's entire PHL system achieve and maintain sustainability to continue to conduct vital services in the face of unprecedented financial and other pressures. The LEI focuses on stimulating substantial gains in laboratories' operating efficiency and cost efficiency through the adoption of proven and promising management practices. In its first year, the LEI generated a strategic plan and a number of resources that PHL directors can use toward achieving LEI goals.

Newborn screening for severe combined immunodeficiency; the Wisconsin experience (2008-2011).

Severe combined immunodeficiency is a life-threatening primary immune deficiency characterized by low numbers of naïve T cells. Early diagnosis and treatment of this disease decreases mortality. In 2008, Wisconsin began newborn screening of infants for severe combined immunodeficiency and other forms of T-cell lymphopenia by the T-cell receptor excision circle assay.

Cause of death in neonates with inconclusive or abnormal T-cell receptor excision circle assays on newborn screening.

Introduction: During the first 2 years of newborn screening (NBS) for severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), 39 infants with an abnormal or inconclusive newborn screening test for SCID died prior to assessment of immune function. We investigated if SCID or primary T-cell lymphopenia likely contributed to the death of these neonates.

Methods: This study is a detailed retrospective chart review.

Leadership principles for developing a statewide public health and clinical laboratory system.

In 1999, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation established the national Laboratory Response Network (LRN) for bioterrorism readiness. A more broad application of the LRN is the National Laboratory System (NLS), an effort to promote the 10 Essential Public Health Services and the Core Functions and Capabilities of State Public Health Laboratories (hereafter, Core Functions). State public health laboratories (PHLs) are responsible for leading the development of both the LRN and the NLS in their jurisdictions.

Implementing routine testing for severe combined immunodeficiency within Wisconsin's newborn screening program.

Severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) is the result of genetic defects that impair normal T-cell development. SCID babies typically appear normal at birth, but acquire multiple life-threatening infections within a few months. Early diagnosis and treatment with a bone-marrow transplant markedly improves long-term outcomes.

Statewide newborn screening for severe T-cell lymphopenia.

Context: A newborn blood screening (NBS) test that could identify infants with a profound deficiency of T cells may result in a reduction in mortality.

Objective: To determine if quantitating T-cell receptor excision circles (TRECs) using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction on DNA extracted from dried blood spots on NBS cards can detect infants with T-cell lymphopenia in a statewide program.

Design, Setting, And Participants: Between January 1 and December 31, 2008, the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene screened all infants born in Wisconsin for T-cell lymphopenia by quantitating the number of TRECs contained in a 3.

Development of a routine newborn screening protocol for severe combined immunodeficiency.

Background: Severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) is characterized by the absence of functional T cells and B cells. Without early diagnosis and treatment, infants with SCID die from severe infections within the first year of life.

Objective: To determined the feasibility of detecting SCID in newborns by quantitating T-cell receptor excision circles (TRECs) from dried blood spots (DBSs) on newborn screening (NBS) cards.