TY - JOUR

T1 - Harnessing the Power of Next-Generation Sequencing in Wastewater-Based Epidemiology and Global Disease Surveillance

AU - Farkas, Kata

AU - Williams, Rachel C

AU - Hillary, Luke S

AU - Garcia-Delgado, Alvaro

AU - Jameson, Eleanor

AU - Kevill, Jessica L

AU - Wade, Matthew J

AU - Grimsley, Jasmine M S

AU - Jones, Davey L

N1 - © 2024. The Author(s).

PY - 2024/11/30

Y1 - 2024/11/30

N2 - Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) has emerged as a valuable surveillance tool for SARS-CoV-2 and other pathogens globally, providing insights into community-level infections, including asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic cases. While most WBE programmes focus on quantitative pathogen assessment, next-generation sequencing (NGS) approaches have enabled more detailed analyses, including variant and recombinant genotype identification for viruses like SARS-CoV-2 and poliovirus. Despite recent NGS advancements allowing for the detection of known and novel viruses in wastewater, many of these tools remain underutilised in routine WBE. This short review critically evaluates the applicability of common NGS tools in routine WBE programmes, assessing their capability for identifying emerging threats with epidemic or pandemic potential. Here, we provide evidence-based recommendations for integrating NGS techniques into WBE and the use of results for informed decision-making within a One Health framework, aiming to enhance global infectious disease surveillance and pandemic preparedness.

AB - Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) has emerged as a valuable surveillance tool for SARS-CoV-2 and other pathogens globally, providing insights into community-level infections, including asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic cases. While most WBE programmes focus on quantitative pathogen assessment, next-generation sequencing (NGS) approaches have enabled more detailed analyses, including variant and recombinant genotype identification for viruses like SARS-CoV-2 and poliovirus. Despite recent NGS advancements allowing for the detection of known and novel viruses in wastewater, many of these tools remain underutilised in routine WBE. This short review critically evaluates the applicability of common NGS tools in routine WBE programmes, assessing their capability for identifying emerging threats with epidemic or pandemic potential. Here, we provide evidence-based recommendations for integrating NGS techniques into WBE and the use of results for informed decision-making within a One Health framework, aiming to enhance global infectious disease surveillance and pandemic preparedness.

KW - High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing/methods

KW - Humans

KW - Wastewater/virology

KW - COVID-19/epidemiology

KW - SARS-CoV-2/genetics

KW - Wastewater-Based Epidemiological Monitoring

KW - Pandemics

KW - Global Health

U2 - 10.1007/s12560-024-09616-0

DO - 10.1007/s12560-024-09616-0

M3 - Review article

C2 - 39614945

VL - 17

JO - Food and Environmental Virology

JF - Food and Environmental Virology

SN - 1867-0334

IS - 1

M1 - 5

ER -