SALT LAKE CITY, May 13, 2026
ARUP Laboratories has launched the first U.S. National Infectious Disease Test Positivity Trends Dashboard, a new public-facing surveillance platform designed to track positivity trends for multiple infectious pathogens using deidentified laboratory testing data. The dashboard aims to help clinical laboratories, medical directors, epidemiologists, and healthcare providers identify unusual disease patterns, seasonal shifts, and emerging outbreaks earlier than traditional public health reporting systems.
ARUP Introduces Multipathogen Surveillance Dashboard
The newly launched dashboard aggregates deidentified national laboratory test positivity data collected through ARUP’s large-scale diagnostic testing network. According to ARUP Laboratories, the platform is the first multipathogen infectious disease trend monitoring tool developed by a U.S.-based national reference laboratory.
The dashboard provides users with regularly updated maps, charts, and pathogen-specific tracking pages designed to reveal changes in positivity rates across different regions and time periods. Data displayed on the platform are refreshed weekly and organized to help healthcare professionals identify patterns that could indicate rising infectious disease activity before broader clinical recognition occurs.
ARUP officials stated that the platform was developed after multiple real-world situations demonstrated the value of early laboratory-based trend monitoring. During the 2024 pertussis outbreak, ARUP reportedly identified elevated positivity rates months before official public health alerts and widespread clinical awareness emerged, leading to delays in testing and diagnosis nationwide.
Dr. Ben Bradley, Medical Director of the Institute for Research and Innovation in Infectious Disease Genomic Technologies, High Consequence Pathogen Response, Virology, and Molecular Infectious Diseases at ARUP, explained that the laboratory’s national testing volume provides sufficient scale to detect meaningful shifts in infectious disease activity across certain pathogens.
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Dashboard Designed for Early Detection and Clinical Decision Support
The platform includes several features aimed at improving usability for healthcare professionals and laboratory leaders. These include interactive maps, pathogen-specific data pages, trend charts, and “Key Information” summary boxes designed to highlight important surveillance findings and emerging developments.
The dashboard’s primary purpose is to support earlier recognition of infectious disease activity that may otherwise remain undetected until healthcare systems begin experiencing larger patient surges. By identifying positivity increases sooner, laboratories and clinicians may be able to improve testing preparedness, diagnostic decision-making, and patient management strategies.
ARUP emphasized that all information displayed within the dashboard is fully deidentified and protected by strict privacy safeguards. Interactivity and data granularity were intentionally limited to ensure patient confidentiality and maintain trust with healthcare clients and institutions.
Dr. Jenna Rychert, Director of Laboratory and Clinical IT and Medical Director of Microbial Immunology and Customer Services at ARUP, stated that the dashboard was developed with both public health utility and data protection as core priorities. She noted that the initiative reflects ARUP’s commitment to knowledge-sharing while safeguarding sensitive healthcare information.
Growing Role of Laboratory Data in Public Health Surveillance
The launch reflects a broader healthcare industry trend toward leveraging real-time laboratory data analytics to strengthen infectious disease surveillance capabilities. Clinical laboratories increasingly play a critical role in identifying outbreaks, monitoring pathogen activity, and supporting rapid public health response efforts.
As infectious disease monitoring becomes more data-driven, large national reference laboratories such as ARUP Laboratories are positioned to contribute earlier visibility into regional and national testing trends through high-volume diagnostic networks.
Founded in 1984, ARUP Laboratories is a nonprofit national reference laboratory affiliated with the University of Utah Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine and its Department of Pathology. The organization performs more than 3,000 laboratory tests and assay combinations, including molecular diagnostics, genetic testing, and infectious disease screening services. ARUP is accredited under ISO 15189 and the College of American Pathologists (CAP) standards.
Source: ARUP Laboratories press release
