WASTEWATER SURVEILLANCE OF INFECTIOUS PATHOGENS AS A TOOL FOR EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE
Abstract
Wastewater surveillance is an effective approach to the epidemiological surveillance of communicable disease pathogens, which received a more prominent role in communicable disease surveillance during the Covid-19 pandemic. This article aims to present the wastewater surveillance of communicable disease pathogens as a tool for preparedness and response to emergency events. Wastewater surveillance of communicable disease pathogens is a tool that can be used in emergency preparedness and response in a variety of circumstances, such as a major outbreak of a communicable disease, an emergency event that is likely to result in the emergence of a spreading communicable disease, and preparedness for a possible event of the occurrence and spread of communicable disease due to global spread. In wastewater, ribonucleic acid viruses are the most frequently monitored microbes, which also need special attention in terms of preparedness and responsiveness, as they have the ability to adapt to new hosts and are therefore constantly changing, leading to the possible emergence of new variants of concern. The field of wastewater-based epidemiology has great potential to develop into a methodology which will enable more effective preparedness and response to public health threats from communicable diseases. The aim of this paper is to present the possibility of using wastewater surveillance of infectious pathogens as a tool for emergency preparedness and response in Slovenia.
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