This section includes dashboards and reports related to wastewater-based genomic surveillance, a powerful tool to monitor the presence and spread of viruses and bacteria in communities.
Background
Wastewater surveillance involves the collection and analysis of sewage samples to detect the presence of pathogens, genetic material, or chemical indicators excreted by the population. It has proven especially useful in identifying early signals of infectious disease outbreaks, including COVID-19, polio, norovirus, and antibiotic resistance genes.
Because it captures data from both symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals, wastewater monitoring provides a non-invasive, cost-effective, and community-level snapshot of population health.
Why is it important?
- Detects early circulation of pathogens before clinical cases rise.
- Monitors community-level trends in near real-time, regardless of healthcare-seeking behavior.
- Tracks variants and resistance genes across broad populations.
- Supports public health response by informing targeted interventions, resource allocation, and risk communication.
- Plays a critical role in integrated disease surveillance systems, especially in resource-limited settings.
Dashboards (1)
EU-Wastewater Integrated Surveillance for Public Health