Correlation between laboratory services and reporting requirements for selected zoonoses.
Questionnaires on the reporting required and the diagnostic services provided for selected zoonoses were completed by all departments of public health and all departments of agriculture in the 50 States. The public health departments offered services for a larger number of zoonoses than did the agricultural agencies. The correlation between the required reporting of a disease and the availability of services for that disease was stronger in the case of public health laboratories.All of the public health laboratories offered assistance with brucellosis and tularemia. The agricultural laboratories had services available for brucellosis in 47 States and for leptospriosis in 45 States. Fifteen public health agencies and 11 agricultural agencies provided laboratory services for all the zoonoses that were reportable in their respective States. The public health laboratories in 12 States will test specimens from nonhuman patients.Laboratory resources might be conserved by elimination of some of the duplication of services within a State that results when both the public health and agricultural agencies provide assistance for the same disease.
D000818:Animals; D019411:Clinical Laboratory Techniques; D006307:Health Systems Agencies; D006801:Humans; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000453:epidemiology*