PulseNet Laboratory - South Central Region
About Us
The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Laboratory is the Regional PulseNet Laboratory for the South Central Area. Our goal is to increase communication among the area member laboratories in order to maximize capacities to function as PulseNet laboratories.
The South Central Area includes New Mexico, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, the city of Houston, and the Texas State Chemist. PulseNet is an online database maintained by the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC). This network allows member laboratories to upload data to aid in detecting foodborne and infectious disease case clusters. This data is obtained from PFGE, multiple locus variable number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA), and nucleic acid sequencing. The information from PulseNet facilitates early identification of common source outbreaks and assists epidemiologists in investigating outbreaks.