Wastewater Target Pathogens of Public Health Importance for Expanded Sampling, Houston, Texas, USA

Area of Science:

• Environmental microbiology
• Public health surveillance
• Infectious disease epidemiology

Background:

• Wastewater surveillance proved effective during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• There is a need to expand wastewater surveillance to other public health threats.
• National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine provide criteria for selecting wastewater targets.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify potential pathogens and diseases for expanded wastewater surveillance.
• To address criteria set by the National Academies for selecting wastewater targets.
• To generate hypotheses for future population-based studies on wastewater target prioritization.

Main Methods:

• A hypothesis-generating study was conducted by the Houston Health Department.
• Infectious disease experts suggested potential targets for surveillance.
• The study evaluated potential targets based on National Academies criteria.

Main Results:

• Potential targets for expanded wastewater surveillance were identified.
• The study addressed key criteria for selecting wastewater surveillance targets.
• Results provide a foundation for future research and prioritization.

Conclusions:

• Wastewater surveillance can be expanded to monitor a wider range of diseases.
• Expert opinion and established criteria are valuable for selecting surveillance targets.
• This research supports the development of a comprehensive national wastewater surveillance strategy.