Originally established in 1894 as the Division of Pathology, Bacteriology, and Disinfection, the Philadelphia Public Health Laboratory (PPHL) lab’s primary focus was on diphtheria and tuberculosis – major causes of death at the time. Since then, the lab has expanded and provides a wide range of testing to monitor and respond to public health threats in the Philadelphia area. Unlike most state and local public health laboratories, PPHL also serves Philadelphia’s eight healthcare centers.

Some of the PPHL’s services are:

  • The Lead and Healthy Homes Program, which protects children through blood lead testing, food testing for the School Summer Food Program, and testing swimming pool samples collected from sites throughout the city.
  • STD screening through high school programs and rapid HIV testing for the general public, which helps support the uninsured and underinsured.
  • Diabetes management by assisting healthcare centers with glucose rapid point of care testing.
  • Rabies testing to support the Animal Management Program.
  • Tuberculosis testing in our Biosafety Level 2 lab for the TB Control Program.
  • Regular testing for norovirus, influenza, and multiple respiratory and gastrointestinal viruses to support the Division of Disease Control.
  • COVID-19 testing services for the City prisons, the Medical Examiner’s Office, Division of Disease Control, COVID-19 Containment, and Philadelphia’s healthcare centers.
  • COVID-19 wastewater testing will soon be available to help provide public health officials with a better understanding of community infectious disease trends.

Most recently, PPHL opened a Genetic Sequencing Laboratory to study the genetic makeup of the COVID-19 virus. This will help the City learn more about variants in the region and answer questions about the virus, such as how it is changing, which variant is spreading most quickly, or where did a particular outbreak come from. Later this year, PPHL will move to their new state-of-the-art facility as they continue to grow and work to better serve the people of Philadelphia.

Visit the Health Department's website