What we flush down the toilet is becoming a valuable resource for tracking diseases, including monkeypox and polio, but there are important questions over who gets to use it and what for
Health | Leader 17 August 2022
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LAST week, health officials announced the detection of polio in New York City’s sewage system, suggesting transmission of a virus that had all but disappeared globally. Earlier this year, a polio outbreak among children in London was similarly detected before any clinical cases were picked up. While such findings are worrisome, they also highlight the benefits of waste water surveillance for detecting and tackling outbreaks fast.
Using sewer sludge as a public health litmus test isn’t a new idea. Since the mid 2000s, researchers have known that waste water can offer important insights into drug use, disease transmission and even …