Wastewater Pathogen Monitoring Yields Timely, Actionable Data
August 30, 2023 | Fort Collins, Colorado
Highlights
Wastewater surveillance empowers timely and well-informed decisions in response to infectious disease outbreaks or drug abuse within communities.
GT Molecular's new wastewater pathogen dashboard features nationwide data with an interactive map, enabling trend analysis across regions with up-to-date information.
Learn how to apply best practices in wastewater testing.
Introduction
Wastewater surveillance proved to be a valuable tool during the COVID-19 pandemic as the detection of rising levels of SARS-CoV-2 virus mirrored the increase in COVID-19 case counts. During periods of limited clinical testing, wastewater testing provided critical information that indicated the potential for surges in clinical cases and allowed for resource redistribution and hospital preparedness.
Wastewater testing can be used to monitor rising levels of many different pathogens, microbial variants, and even illicit drug use within a community. Accurate, timely information regarding trends is key to informing the decisions made by those entrusted with protecting public health. Thus, it is important to establish a robust and informative testing program built on best practices and with access to analysis tools that help identify trends over time.1
Why test wastewater?
Infectious agents and drugs are secreted from our bodies as waste, so wastewater or sewage surveillance enables the detection of disease outbreaks 1 to 2 weeks faster than clinical testing and can even identify infections before individuals develop symptoms.2 Wastewater testing can also identify specific pathogenic variants that may be circulating in the community to better inform vaccine development and distribution. Variant tracking is also helpful in predicting potential healthcare system burden and economic impact.
As a result, wastewater surveillance provides a more convenient and less invasive way to gather data on infectious disease spread. The information obtained through wastewater testing enables a rapid response to an infectious disease outbreak or developing drug crisis, which is crucial to maintain a safe and healthy community.3,4
Who is testing wastewater?
Governmental sectors or institutions, such as nursing homes, venues, hospitals, and correctional facilities, can benefit from community-level monitoring of trends over time to detect early signs of pathogenic infection or drug abuse. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has adopted a sewage surveillance program for pathogen monitoring called the National Wastewater Surveillance System (NWSS) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.5 NWSS has recently started monitoring for other infectious diseases such as monkeypox and plans to also develop panels to detect antimicrobial resistance genes and foodborne infectious/intoxication agents.6 San Diego County has already been testing wastewater for other pathogens, such as influenza, respiratory syncytial virus, human metapneumovirus, norovirus and monkey pox.7 Information obtained from wastewater testing can help communities prepare for local outbreaks.
Accessibility of wastewater surveillance data
Timely and accurate information about the identity, quantity, and spread of key pathogens or illicit drug use is crucial for community leaders to make informed decisions regarding resource allocation and public health policies. However, community leaders and institutions may not have the resources to appropriately gather and analyze wastewater data. In response to this need, GT Molecular created a user-friendly wastewater pathogen monitoring data dashboard that features an interactive map showing data from samples collected nationwide to help track the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2. The dashboard provides the most up-to-date data while helping to establish trends over time.
Best practices for wastewater surveillance testing
A reliable wastewater testing program should be built on proven sampling and testing methods. Wastewater samples are collected from various community sources and analyzed by testing laboratories. To ensure high quality results, incorporate the industry’s best practices described below:
Utilize automated composite sampling rather than manual “grab” sampling for consistent, high-quality data.
Use molecular tests with multiple internal controls to reduce sample-to-sample data variability and increase confidence in data interpretation.
For pathogen monitoring, use digital PCR (dPCR)-based assays that offer high sensitivity, quantitative detection, and rapid turnaround times. This technology is particularly well-suited for multiplexing and variant detection.
Employ software that produces reports that are easy to read with clearly written actionable insights.
Ensure that the test design and report contents meet the CDC's requirements so they can be integrated with the NWSS.
Benefits of partnering with GT Molecular for quick & accurate wastewater testing
By following the best practices of wastewater surveillance, leaders can make timely and accurate decisions to combat potential disease outbreaks or drug abuse within communities. Many community leaders choose to partner with biotechnology companies that have well-established wastewater surveillance protocols to ensure proper data collection and reporting.
When performing wastewater surveillance with GT Molecular, you can be confident that the testing aligns with best practices. Since 2018, we have used our expertise to rapidly develop assays and respond swiftly to epidemiological changes, including the emergence of new variants or increased drug abuse. Our comprehensive dashboard exemplifies our robust data analysis capabilities as we lead the industry in variant tracking. Data collected from our partnerships across the nation will be available on the dashboard, enabling users to see national trends. We offer an extensive menu of validated assays for many variants of SARS-CoV-2, influenza, and 30 other pathogens, and provide cost-effective testing services with rapid turnaround times of 24 to 48 hours.
Wastewater surveillance programs enable the early detection of infectious disease outbreaks or drug abuse within our communities. By following the best practices for wastewater testing, reliable data is made available to community and institutional leaders to inform decisions essential for public health policies, resource allocation, and vaccine development. GT Molecular's new data dashboard provides timely information concerning national and regional trends that can improve public health preparedness.
To learn more about GT Molecular's services, please visit our website:
References:
Anthes, E. As Covid Emergency Ends, Surveillance Shifts to the Sewers. The New York Times (2023).
Science & Tech Spotlight: Wastewater Surveillance | U.S. GAO. https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-22-105841 (2022).
Levy, J. I., Andersen, K. G., Knight, R. & Karthikeyan, S. Wastewater surveillance for public health. Science (1979) 379, 26–27 (2023).
Diamond, M. B. et al. Wastewater surveillance of pathogens can inform public health responses. Nature Medicine 2022 28:10 28, 1992–1995 (2022).
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Wastewater Surveillance System (NWSS). https://www.cdc.gov/nwss/wastewater-surveillance.html (2023).
Johnson, M. CDC Greatly Expands Number of Infectious Disease Targets for National Wastewater Surveillance. GenomeWeb https://www.genomeweb.com/pcr/cdc-greatly-expands-number-infectious-disease-targets-national-wastewater-surveillance (2023).
Hoffman, M. Wastewater surveillance for COVID and other diseases continue. KPBS Public Media https://www.kpbs.org/news/local/2023/05/17/wastewater-surveillance-for-covid-and-other-diseases-continue (2023).
