A brief introduction to the United States CDC Laboratory Response Network for Chemical Threats

The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Laboratory Response Network for Chemical Threats (LRN-C) is a network of more than 50 primarily local public health laboratories covering all states and regions of the United States. It is managed by the CDC and is responsible for collecting, shipping, and analyzing clinical specimens from large-scale and local chemical threat events. The U.S. CDC Chemical Threat Laboratory Response Network establishes a hierarchical network framework, standard specimen collection, packaging, and transport procedures, laboratory testing methods, and related support facilities to achieve rapid collection, shipment, and laboratory analysis of large numbers of specimens following large-scale chemical threat events and to provide local laboratory response capabilities for chemical threat and public health services. The framework design, capability requirements, and event response workflow of the CDC Chemical Threat Laboratory Response Network in the United States provide a reference for the establishment of relevant domestic network laboratories.