Wastewater-Based Epidemiology as a Tool for Monitoring Emerging and Re-Emerging Viral Diseases.

Abstract:

Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) has emerged as a powerful and cost-effective approach for monitoring the spread of viral diseases within populations. By analyzing wastewater for viral genetic material shed in human excreta, WBE enables the early detection and surveillance of pathogens such as Rotavirus, Astrovirus, Adenovirus, Sapovirus, poliovirus, and noroviruses. This method provides a non-invasive, community-level assessment of infection trends, capturing data from both symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals. Despite its advantages, challenges such as variability in wastewater composition, environmental degradation of viral RNA, and the need for standardized protocols remain. Nevertheless, WBE holds significant promise as a complementary surveillance tool, particularly in low-resource settings, enabling timely responses to emerging and re-emerging viral threats. WBE gained global prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic, where it was successfully used as an early warning system to predict outbreaks and guide public health interventions. Advances in molecular techniques, including PCR and genomic sequencing, have enhanced the sensitivity and specificity of viral detection in wastewater samples. Wastewater-based epidemiology represents an innovative and scalable strategy for public health monitoring, offering valuable insights into population-level disease dynamics and supporting proactive disease control measures.