The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that we need better surveillance of infectious and antimicrobial agents, in the community:
Australia does not have a well-established national surveillance and response program. Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) has the potential to provide insights into a broad range of infectious disease and antimicrobial agents and biomarkers. Furthermore, WBE surveillance data has to be integrated with health data leading to beneficial health responses.
The main objective of this project is to establish a nationwide sewage surveillance of agents of concern through wastewater monitoring. During non-epidemic periods, insight into the community agent load and early warning for an increase in agents will be the outcome. During epidemics, this should be in near-real time. Findings should always be integrated with human epidemiological dynamics and processes.
This project will deliver the following:
(1) Early warning system to detect:
i. Routine surveillance to detect the new presence of:
ii. Targeted surveillance in high risk settings (i.e., ‘hotspots’, prisons, nursing homes, etc)
(2) Monitor the impact of strategies aimed at containment, treatment, immunisation
a. Routine surveillance
b. Targeted surveillance in high prevalence or high-risk settings
(3) Inform the impact of “re-opening” strategies on the burden of community disease
a. Routine surveillance
b. Targeted surveillance in high prevalence or high-risk settings
Expected outcomes