About Us

The Vermont Department of Health Laboratory (VDHL)  is a state-of-the-art scientific facility that ensures Vermont’s public health by:

• monitoring for disease outbreaks
• providing emergency response services for biological, radiological and chemical threats
• providing environmental testing for food, drinking water and radiation contamination
• providing clinical testing for healthcare settings and underserved populations

Our Certificates

• CLIA Certificate
• NH ELAP Certificate
• ISO/IEC 17025:2017 Certificate

Our Programs

Public Testing Services for Vermonters

• Drinking Water testing: Check your well or tap water for safety and quality. Available for homeowners, municipalities, and water systems.
• Environmental Water testing: Testing for lakes, swimming areas, irrigation, and surface water.
• Home Radon testing: Test your home for radon in air (short-, medium-, or long-term kits available) and in water.
• Rabies testing: Rabies testing for animals, when approved by the State Public Health Veterinarian.

Clinical Testing for Health Care Providers

We provide specialized testing to support diagnosis and disease tracking in Vermont:

• Bacteriology: Bordetella, Salmonella, Shigella, Campylobacter, E. coli, Chlamydia, Gonorrhoeae, Brucella, Syphilis, and more
• Blood Lead: Pediatric testing
• Mycology and Mycobacteriology: Tuberculosis and fungi testing
• Parasitology: Cryptosporidium, Cyclospora, Giardia, Pinworms, and more
• Virology: Influenza, norovirus, hepatitis, HIV, measles, and more

Public Health and Safety Testing

We support statewide monitoring, outbreak response, and emergency preparedness:

• Biological, Chemical and Radiological Threats: Serves as a reference laboratory for the identification and investigation of suspect biothreat, chemical threat, and radiological threat agents.
• Environmental Testing: Performs bacteria testing on swim water, investigates suspected legionella outbreaks, and tests environmental samples for naturally occurring and man-made radioactive materials including monitoring Vermont Yankee.
• Food Testing: Tests for foodborne pathogens during a suspected outbreak, including norovirus and salmonella and more.

Our History

The Vermont legislature established the “Vermont State Laboratory of Hygiene” in 1898.  It was the third of its kind to be organized in the United States. The Lab was charged with examining water, milk and food products for chemical and bacterial contamination, and to investigate suspected cases of infectious and contagious diseases.

The Lab shared its work with Vermont’s Health Officers’ School in 1899, creating enthusiasm for public health work. 

In 1963, the Lab implemented a screening program for kidney, heart, diabetes and gout diseases. After a couple of years, the program got a van and the clinics became mobile, traveling to industries, schools and other community locations to test children and adults.

In 2015, the Lab moved to its current location in Colchester. It is a state-of-the-art scientific facility capable of testing highly infectious agents and toxins (ex. Anthrax) in its Bio-Safety Level 3 containment unit. The Lab was at the forefront of testing and whole genome sequencing during the COVID-19 pandemic.