Wastewater Testing Shows Promise in Detecting Infections, Including Mpox: CDC Report
In a recent report released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it has been revealed that wastewater testing is proving to be an effective method for detecting infections, including the rare disease known as mpox. This breakthrough finding has bolstered the push to use sewage as a means to track and monitor the spread of various diseases.
Amy Kirby, who oversees the CDC’s wastewater surveillance work, expressed her initial skepticism about whether the tests would be successful in detecting a rare infection like mpox. However, the results have surpassed expectations. Kirby stated, “It turns out it worked really very well.”
The study conducted by CDC researchers found that over the course of a week, there was a 32% likelihood that the tests would detect the presence of at least one person infected with mpox in a population ranging from thousands to millions. Moreover, as the number of infected individuals in a community increased to 15 or more, there was a 76% chance that wastewater testing could successfully identify mpox.
The concept behind wastewater testing lies in the fact that water that goes down sinks, shower drains, or toilets can carry traces of viruses or bacteria that are excreted in urine or feces. Studies have shown that wastewater testing can serve as an early warning system, signaling the presence of a disease in a community even before doctors start reporting cases. Joshua Levy, a researcher at the Scripps Research Institute in California, who has extensively studied wastewater monitoring and related technology, stated, “Almost every kind of virus that we’ve gone looking for is detectable.”
Currently, approximately 863 of the nation’s 3,143 counties, which represent roughly a quarter of the U.S. population, are reporting wastewater data to the CDC. However, this monitoring system is still a patchwork and does not include many rural homes that are not connected to municipal sewage systems.
The use of wastewater testing gained prominence in 2020 when health officials began testing sewage for genetic evidence of the coronavirus. Since then, it has become an integral part of the CDC’s COVID-19 tracking efforts, especially as fewer nasal swab test results are reported. In 2022, the CDC expanded its wastewater testing to include the detection of polio and mpox. The recent study conducted by the CDC analyzed wastewater samples from 89 sites in 16 states, taken between August 2022 and May 2023. The presence of mpox DNA in the samples was cross-referenced with cases reported by doctors to validate the accuracy of the testing method.
According to CDC officials, the wastewater testing approach appears to be more sensitive in detecting mpox than COVID-19. However, they caution that direct comparisons between different diseases are challenging due to variations among germs and differences in diagnostic and reporting practices by doctors.
The CDC’s efforts in wastewater surveillance extend beyond mpox and COVID-19. The agency has also started collecting data for flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in about 40 states. While this data is not yet publicly available, the CDC plans to make it accessible by next fall. Additionally, the agency intends to track germs that are resistant to antibiotics and monitor food poisoning bugs starting early next year.
The success of wastewater surveillance has exceeded expectations, and CDC officials are eager to explore its potential applications in understanding disease patterns in communities. Amy Kirby expressed her excitement, stating, “Wastewater surveillance is outperforming everyone’s expectations. We are really excited to see where else we can apply this new tool to help us understand disease in communities.”
In conclusion, the CDC’s report on wastewater testing as a means of detecting infections, including mpox, highlights the effectiveness of this approach in disease surveillance. With its ability to provide early warnings and monitor the spread of diseases, wastewater testing has proven to be a valuable tool in public health efforts. As the CDC continues to expand its monitoring system and explore new applications, the potential for this innovative method to revolutionize disease tracking is immense.