The Norwalk Health Department laboratory provides services and consultation in response to public health concerns that require laboratory services. The laboratory is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM. and Wednesday, 8:30 AM to 6:00 PM.
Sexually Transmitted Diseases Clinic
STD's are serious, damaging infections that are transmitted during sexual activity. Sometimes the infections are painful, but sometimes there are no noticeable symptoms.
Click Here for details.
Beach Water Quality Testing
Twelve Norwalk beaches are tested for bacteriological water quality from Memorial Day through Labor Day weekends on a weekly basis. Those beaches are: Shady, Calf Pasture, Shore & Country, Marvin, Shorefront, Harbor View, Village Creek, Wilson Point, Belle Island, Bayley, Rowayton and Hickory Bluff. The beaches are monitored for water quality to determine the open or closed status of the beach. Quality is determined by measuring the quantity of an indicator bacteria (Enterococci), as set forth by the CT Department of Environmental Protection and the CT Department of Public Health. Click Here for the latest beach and shellfishing updates.
Throat Cultures for Group A Strep
Throat culture specimens are tested for the presence of Group A Strep. This service is provided to private physician offices ONLY on a fee-for-service basis and is not available to the general public. For diagnosis and treatment of suspected strep throat, contact your primary care physician.
Rainfall Monitoring
Rainfall is monitored at this Health Department in cooperation with the Shellfish Commissions of Norwalk and Westport. Rainfall amounts are used to determine the open or closed status of the Conditionally Approved shellfishing areas in Norwalk, Darien and Westport as set forth in the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The MOU is the agreement between the Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Aquaculture (DA/BA), City of Norwalk, Town of Darien and Town of Westport officials to manage the Conditionally Approved Areas.
Rabies
Rabies is a fatal disease of warm blooded mammals caused by a virus, most frequently spread through a bite from an infected animal. Bites are the main route of transmission because a diseased animal has the rabies virus in its saliva and frequently will bite other animals. This Health Department handles the transportation of suspected rabid animals from the Norwalk Animal Control office or from Norwalk veterinarians ONLY, for shipment to the CT State laboratory for testing. Norwalk residents having questions concerning dogs, cats and other domestic animals that may have been exposed to a suspected rabid animal should contact the Norwalk Animal Control Officer at (203) 838-9135 or the State Animal Control Division at (860) 713-2506. Anyone having questions concerning possible human exposure to rabies should contact their local Health Department or the State of Connecticut Health Department at (860) 509-7994.
