Arbovirus Surveillance Laboratory Section
Mosquito samples are tested for the presence of select arboviruses, including West Nile virus, Eastern Equine Encephalitis virus and LaCrosse virus. Samples can be submitted by local health departments through the IDOH Entomology Program. For more information on the IDOH Entomology Program, please click here.
Biothreat Laboratory Section
The Biothreat Section examines clinical specimens/isolates, and environmental samples for the presence of highly dangerous organisms and biological toxins. Since these organisms and toxins may be found naturally, the laboratory is responsible for rapidly “ruling out” the presence of these organisms and toxins from isolates sent from sentinel laboratories throughout the State.
Rabies Laboratory Section
The Rabies Laboratory performs rabies testing on animals to rule out the presence of the rabies virus. A complete description of how to submit specimens for rabies testing can be found on the Rabies Testing webpage. The Rabies Submission Guidelines poster is available as well.
Update September 4, 2026:
Due to extremely high submission volume, the rabies lab is experiencing significant backlog for results. When considering if testing should be performed, please review the IDOH Rabies Submission Criteria. Individuals reaching 10 days post exposure should consider receiving rabies post exposure prophylaxis (PEP). Animal heads or specimens submitted on late Friday afternoon are held until Monday morning or the next business day. For further consultation regarding human exposure, call the IDOH Rabies Epidemiologist at (317) 232-3084.
To ensure timely testing of the highest-risk animals, IDOH is currently prioritizing wild rabies reservoir species (e.g., bats). As a result, dog or cat testing has been temporarily suspended and bat testing may take longer than normal. IDOH recognizes the inconvenience and is actively working to restore capacity as quickly as possible. We expect full capacity to be restored by the end of September.
Bites from dogs and cats in Indiana are generally considered to be low risk for rabies transmission. Healthy dogs or cats that have bitten a person should be confined and observed for 10 days past the date of the bite. People bitten by a dog or cat that is not available for a 10-day post-bite quarantine and that cannot be tested due to IDOH’s temporary suspension of services should contact their healthcare provider or county health department to request a risk assessment and recommendations on whether rabies post-exposure prophylaxis (“rabies shots”) are needed. This is standard guidance for situations where the rabies status of a biting animal is unknown.
Virology Laboratory Section
The Virology Laboratory provides testing to detect viruses pathogenic to humans which may be of public health importance. Detection of nucleic acids in specimens is used to identify infections caused by measles, mumps, herpes simplex virus (HSV), enteroviruses, SARS-CoV-2, and the influenza virus (The IDOHL has the unique ability to subtype influenza). The virology laboratory also responds to new and emerging viral pathogens.
