The New York State Department of Health’s Wadsworth Center and Division of Epidemiology are collaborating on the investigation of a Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) outbreak in northern New York State. RSV primarily causes clinically significant illness in children under five years of age and older adults, often presenting as influenza-like illness or pneumonia, and commonly requiring hospitalization in severe cases. 

In January 2026, the Wadsworth Center successfully completed routine federal inspections required under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA) across the Biggs Laboratory, Griffin Laboratory, and the David Axelrod Institute (DAI). A team of five CLIA surveyors conducted a comprehensive three-day on-site evaluation of clinical laboratory operations. 

Beginning in early November 2025, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), initiated an investigation into a multistate outbreak of infant botulism associated with ByHeart Whole Nutrition powdered infant formula. Early epidemiologic findings demonstrated a strong association between illness and consumption of the product, prompting a voluntary recall.

The Wadsworth Center Fellowship Program Committee hosted the Winter Fellow Research Symposium on January 22, 2026, at the David Axelrod Institute (DAI) and the Life Sciences Innovation Building (LSIB) Collaboratory. Eight fellows representing three Divisions—the Division of Environmental Health Sciences, Division of Infectious Diseases, and Division of Genetics—participated in the event. 

Several Wadsworth Center Research Scientists and their trainees attended the 2026 Winter Conference on Plasma Spectrochemistry, held January 10-17, 2026, in Tucson, Arizona. Participants included Drs. Patrick Parsons, George Donati, and Christopher Palmer; Ms. Kayla Mehigan; and Dr. Sarah El Din, an APHL Postdoctoral Fellow. University at Albany doctoral students Deanna Luneau and Joseph Teson from Dr. Parsons’ laboratory also attended the meeting.

The Wadsworth Center investigated the deaths of five common loons (Gavia immer) collected from New York State waters for suspected type E botulism, a rare type that is usually associated with birds and aquatic environments. Four of the birds were recovered from Lake Erie in Erie County, and one was collected from Lake Ontario in Oswego County. Liver samples from all five loons, along with gastrointestinal contents (pooled samples from the Lake Erie loons and an individual sample from the Lake Ontario loon), were collected on November 19, 2025. 

The Environmental Laboratory Approval Program (ELAP) within the Wadsworth Center at the New York State Department of Health has regulatory oversight responsibility for laboratories that test environmental samples collected in New York State.  These laboratories analyze samples for a wide range of toxins, harmful microorganisms, carcinogens, and other substances that may affect public health and the environment. 

Nicole Cairns, Assistant Director of the Wadsworth Center, was elected Chair of The NELAC Institute (TNI) Chemistry Expert Committee on January 7, 2026.  TNI is a national, nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote the generation of environmental measurement data of known and documented quality through the development and maintenance of consensus standards.  These standards are used to accredit environmental laboratories, accreditation bodies, and proficiency testing providers nationwide.  Ms.

Substance use disorder (SUD) is a significant public health challenge in the United States.  According to the 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, an estimated 29.5 million individuals aged 12 and older had an alcohol use disorder, while 24 million had a drug use disorder.  Beyond the direct health impacts of substance use, individuals with SUD may also face increased exposure to harmful environmental chemicals that can further compromise health.  Drugs produced through clandestine and unregulated manufacturing processes can expose individuals to a range of contaminan

The Wadsworth Center has identified Borrelia mayonii in blacklegged ticks (Ixodes scapularis) collected in New York State – the first time this Lyme disease-like pathogen has been detected outside the upper Midwest. B.

The Clinical Laboratory Evaluation Program (CLEP) within the Wadsworth Center regulates clinical laboratory testing in New York State. Among its regulatory responsibilities, CLEP is currently the only regulatory agency in the United States that conducts formal review of Laboratory Developed Tests (LDTs). While clinical laboratories outside New York State may develop and use LDTs without FDA approval, any laboratory seeking to test New York State specimens must obtain CLEP approval. 

A new research publication coauthored by the Wadsworth Center’s Division of Environmental Health Sciences highlights a link between secondhand tobacco smoke (SHS) exposure and sleep disturbances in children. SHS remains a significant public health concern, and emerging evidence suggests it can adversely affect sleep through both biological and behavioral mechanisms.

Proposed regulations to amend Subpart 58-1 and the addition of Subpart 58-6 to replace Part 19 are available for public comment at

Scientists from the Wadsworth Center’s Division of Environmental Health Sciences (DEHS) coauthored a new study published in Nature Communications that sheds light on how plastic-associated endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) may contribute to hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), a chronic inflammatory skin disease with limited treatment options.

For more than 25 years, the Environmental Proficiency Test and Validation Unit (EPTAVU), of the Wadsworth Center’s Division of Environmental Health Sciences (DEHS), produced a comprehensive suite of environmental proficiency testing (PT) samples for hundreds of laboratories accredited through the New York State Department of Health’s Environmental Laboratory Approval Program (ELAP).

Dr. Janice Pata, Director of the Wadsworth Center’s Division of Scientific Cores, delivered a virtual seminar to the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis on December 9, 2025.

The Wadsworth Center’s tuberculosis (TB) testing program for Mycobacterium tuberculosis is among the leading diagnostic programs in the United States and is internationally recognized for its scientific excellence and public health impact. Senior scientists from the program are regularly invited to participate in major international meetings, reflecting its global leadership in TB diagnostics and surveillance.

The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) has recognized the GUARDIAN study as one of the nine most impactful, newsworthy, or novel research studies published in the past year. This distinction places GUARDIAN among JAMA’s annual “Research of the Year” selections, highlighting its significance to medicine and public health. 

On December 3–4, 2025, Dr. Joseph Orsini, PhD, of the Wadsworth Center, participated in the Association of Public Health Laboratories’ (APHL) annual Newborn Screening (NBS) Face-to-Face Committee Meeting in Bethesda, Maryland. Dr. Orsini serves as Co-Chair of the national NBS Committee, which provides guidance, develops best practices, and addresses emerging challenges to ensure high-quality newborn screening programs across the United States.

The Advanced Genomics Technology Cluster (AGTC) Core at the Wadsworth Center is continuing to expand its automation capabilities to support both research and clinical sequencing workflows. As part of this effort, hands-on, advanced technical training is essential to ensure the Center can independently maintain and optimize these high-throughput systems.