Methodological Approach for Dengue Viral Load Quantification in Wastewater: Protocol for a Systematic Review and...

Area of Science:

• Environmental microbiology
• Public health
• Virology

Background:

• Dengue virus (DENV) emergence poses a global public health challenge.
• Clinical surveillance has limitations in early outbreak detection.
• Wastewater-based surveillance (WBS) shows promise for proactive public health interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and determine current methodologies for DENV detection in wastewater.
• To identify gaps and best practices in DENV WBS.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search following PRISMA guidelines across major databases (PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science) until June 2025.
• Data extraction on sampling techniques, detection methods, study sites, and serotypes.
• Quality assessment using ROBINS-I and GRADE tools.
• Descriptive analysis and meta-analysis of DENV WBS methodologies.

Main Results:

• Synthesis of data on DENV detection in wastewater, including sampling and viral detection methods.
• Analysis of study sites, geographic distribution, and identified dengue serotypes.
• Meta-analysis to evaluate methodologies, accounting for heterogeneity.

Conclusions:

• This systematic review protocol outlines a comprehensive approach to evaluate DENV WBS methods.
• Findings will inform best practices for dengue surveillance and guide future research.
• The study aims to enhance the reliability and effectiveness of WBS for dengue outbreak prediction.