Serving Nevada

A rural Nevada landscape shows a farming community

Public health services for every Nevada community

The Nevada State Public Health Laboratory  is dedicated to serving the health and safety of every Nevadan, from urban centers to rural, frontier, and tribal communities. As the state’s public health laboratory, NSPHL provides critical testing, emergency response, and technical expertise that ensures residents and visitors across Nevada have access to high-quality public health services – no matter where they live.

Comprehensive testing and response

NSPHL delivers a wide range of essential services, including:

INFECTIOUS DISEASE TESTING
Detecting and monitoring pathogens that threaten public health, from seasonal influenza to emerging infectious diseases
NEWBORN SCREENING
Testing tens of thousands of babies each year for inherited disorders to ensure early detection and intervention
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
Assessing water safety and monitoring for foodborne illness to keep communities healthy
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
Rapidly responding to biological or chemical threats, natural disasters, and public health emergencies

Through these services, NSPHL safeguards Nevadans every day and provides a vital first line of defense against threats that cross city, county and state lines.

A river runs to the horizon through a green field near Minden, Nevada

Reaching every corner of Nevada

Nevada is the seventh largest state in the nation, and providing consistent, high-quality public health services across this vast geography is no small task. NSPHL has developed a statewide courier network to transport clinical specimens, newborn screening blood spot cards and environmental samples from communities across Nevada to our laboratory in Reno. This system ensures rapid testing turnaround and reduces geographic barriers, giving all Nevadans equal access to essential public health testing.

A group of researchers stand together in the lab for a group shot

Collaboration and partnerships

NSPHL works closely with local and state government agencies, healthcare providers, water authorities, tribal health organizations, and other partners throughout the state. These partnerships strengthen public health surveillance, inform outbreak responses, and allow the laboratory to serve as a central resource for novel and emerging pathogens, such as SARS-CoV-2. Additionally, NSPHL maintains critical connections with federal agencies including the CDC, FDA and EPA helping to coordinate public health strategies and preparedness efforts across multiple levels of government.

A patient gets a test administered in her nose

Commitment to all Nevadans

Every test, every analysis, and every response reflects NSPHL’s unwavering commitment to the health and safety of Nevada. By combining expert staff, advanced technology, and strategic partnerships, the laboratory ensures that no matter where you live in the state, you have access to the public health services you need—keeping communities safe, healthy, and resilient.