2026 Public Health Laboratory Newsroom
Testing for Flu, RSV, COVID-19, etc. at the Minn. Public Health Lab 

Each year, the Minnesota Public Health Laboratory receives tens of thousands of samples from across the state to analyze for a wide range of infectious diseases. Laboratory Scientist Sarah Bistodeau specializes in testing for the respiratory diseases influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and COVID-19. She also tests specimens for rabies, syphilis, and arboviruses, which are mosquito- and tickborne diseases.

An early interest in science

Sarah Bistodeau was fascinated by science for as long as she can remember. She grew up in a family of readers who enjoyed science fiction. Bistodeau was also inspired by a series of books called “The Ocean World of Jacques Costeau” to someday become an oceanologist. 

In college, Bistodeau’s passion for writing and reading led her to become an English major. However, she knew she did not want to teach or become a journalist. A lifelong interest in developmental biology led her to take an upper-level genetics class. She loved it so much that she switched to a biomedical science major. 

Beginning a science career

Bistodeau’s first job after college was at a private company that specialized in drawing samples from patients and testing them for diseases. She was in an area that ran HIV tests for the American military. 

Bistodeau would master the ins and outs of a particular type of testing and then yearn to learn something new. She moved to other sections of the lab that performed diagnostic testing on specimens from clinics and hospitals, detecting viruses, bacteria, and fungal infections. By the time the parent company shut down its Minnesota laboratory branch, she was ready to move to the next challenge.

Working at the Minnesota Public Health Laboratory

In January 2014, the Minnesota Public Health Laboratory hired Sarah Bistodeau to run the Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) project within the Virology Unit of its Infectious Disease Lab. Three hospitals in the Twin Cities would submit samples from patients with severe respiratory illness. Bistodeau and her colleagues would test the samples for more than 24 different respiratory pathogens, including flu, RSV, and seasonal coronaviruses. They would use the test results, along with information about the patients’ symptoms and medical histories, to better understand how common respiratory illnesses affect our communities. They would then share their findings with other public health laboratories and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 

This sort of disease monitoring encompasses most of the Minnesota Infectious Disease Lab’s work. The information it gathers is used to track how respiratory viruses are changing and spreading. This is critical for keeping vaccines effective, among many other efforts to keep infectious diseases under control.

When the Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) project ended, Bistodeau began leading the Virology Unit’s regular respiratory disease testing. While there are many respiratory diseases, the so-called “big two” for many years were flu and RSV. 

In 2020, COVID-19 suddenly became the dominant focus. The Minnesota Public Health Laboratory was the first in the state to test samples for the virus that causes COVID-19. Many lab scientists worked around the clock to keep up with the sudden influx of samples. (Read more at COVID-19 Stories.)

Once the volume of samples relating to COVID-19 receded, Bistodeau was able concentrate on other infectious disease testing. Her main focus remains on respiratory diseases, especially in autumn, when case numbers rise dramatically as children return to school and people spend more time indoors. 

Before respiratory diseases peak, Bistodeau devotes time to diseases that spread most readily in summer, including mosquito- and tick-borne diseases and rabies. The Minnesota Public Health Laboratory is the only lab in the state that tests samples for rabies.

Bistodeau also leads syphilis testing year-round. Most hospitals and clinics test for syphilis in their own labs. The Minnesota Public Health Laboratory accepts some of their positive samples to confirm diagnoses.

The Minnesota Public Health Laboratory also conducts diagnostic syphilis testing for underserved communities. The lab partners with Ramsey County local public health to test samples from a free clinic for uninsured or underinsured people. This work encompasses not only analyzing samples for syphilis, but also herpes and tuberculosis.

The Minnesota Public Health Laboratory provides a vital service monitoring infectious diseases across Minnesota. It also confirms disease diagnoses and provides initial diagnoses when needed. Scientists like Sarah Bistodeau devote themselves to this central cog of Minnesota’s well-renowned health infrastructure.

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