Explorer

Polio Detected In Sewage In UK. But It's Not The Only Disease Scientists Look For In Wastewater

Wastewater epidemiology involves testing sewage for biological markers of disease that people shed during normal daily activities, such as going to the toilet.

London, Jul 1 (The Conversation): We recently learned that poliovirus had been detected in sewage in north and east London between February and May 2022. Poliomyelitis (polio) is an infectious disease that can cause paralysis and death, mainly in children.

But polio is also a triumph of vaccination. The last known case of polio in the UK was in 1984, and the country was declared polio free in 2003.

While the UK Health Security Agency has said that the risk to the public is very low, the detection of the virus in London’s wastewater has naturally led to a strong public health response. Experts are investigating the possibility of community transmission, and have urged the public to ensure their vaccinations are up to date.

Polio was detected in sewage as early as 1939 in the US, and today, wastewater is regularly tested for the virus in many parts of the world. Wastewater surveillance for polio was trialled in Scandinavia starting in the late 1960s, paving the way for the World Health Organisation to recommend it as part of routine polio surveillance in 2003.

In 2013, a silent outbreak was identified in Israel in this way. Early detection meant that supplementary vaccination campaigns ended the outbreak swiftly in 2014 with no cases of paralysis.

Without wastewater monitoring, the first indication that polio is circulating in a population could be the paralysis or death of a child.

But polio isn’t the only disease we can look for in our wastewater. Wastewater epidemiology involves testing sewage for biological markers of disease that people shed during normal daily activities, such as going to the toilet. These markers could be fragments of genetic materials of a virus or bacteria, for example.

Other pathogens that can be detected in sewage include typhoid and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), though monitoring for signs of these infections doesn’t happen routinely.

During the pandemic, many countries have employed wastewater epidemiology to track SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, and to locate emerging variants.

Wastewater surveillance is particularly useful for pathogens where the proportion of asymptomatic infections is high and in countries where clinical surveillance such as testing may be poor. It has been effectively used in low- and middle-income countries to detect diseases like typhoid.

It’s also possible to test sewage for the broken down products of drugs. In this way, wastewater surveillance has been used to track illicit drug use, prescription medication like antidepressants, and even antimicrobial resistance.

The uses for wastewater-based epidemiology can be grouped into two categories. The first is where just the presence of a pathogen requires a response. This is the case for pathogens that have low rates, like emerging variants of SARS-CoV-2 or diseases nearing elimination like polio or measles.

The second is to quantify the burden of a specific disease. In England, 45 sites were sampled frequently for SARS-CoV-2. Our own work on wastewater surveillance for COVID showed it can be used to estimate how common the disease is – that is, the concentration of viral fragments in the sewage reflected the number of cases in the community.

There are some challenges in interpreting concentrations because they can be affected by environmental factors such as the volume of rainfall diluting the samples. But when we know about these effects, we can account for them.

Wastewater epidemiology captures the contributions of almost all the people within a sewage catchment, which can be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, biases that often affect traditional surveillance, such as localised testing shortages or variability in access to healthcare, are reduced.

On the other hand, samples collected from large sewage works serve such a large population (over 4 million people in the case of Beckton where the poliovirus was detected) that pinpointing the origins of infection is difficult. Collection of sewage samples closer to the source can help, but is more difficult, harder to analyse and more expensive.

The uses for wastewater-based epidemiology can be grouped into two categories. The first is where just the presence of a pathogen requires a response. This is the case for pathogens that have low rates, like emerging variants of SARS-CoV-2 or diseases nearing elimination like polio or measles.

The second is to quantify the burden of a specific disease. In England, 45 sites were sampled frequently for SARS-CoV-2. Our own work on wastewater surveillance for COVID showed it can be used to estimate how common the disease is – that is, the concentration of viral fragments in the sewage reflected the number of cases in the community.

There are some challenges in interpreting concentrations because they can be affected by environmental factors such as the volume of rainfall diluting the samples. But when we know about these effects, we can account for them.

Wastewater epidemiology captures the contributions of almost all the people within a sewage catchment, which can be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, biases that often affect traditional surveillance, such as localised testing shortages or variability in access to healthcare, are reduced. On the other hand, samples collected from large sewage works serve such a large population (over 4 million people in the case of Beckton where the poliovirus was detected) that pinpointing the origins of infection is difficult. Collection of sewage samples closer to the source can help, but is more difficult, harder to analyse and more expensive.

Budgetary pressure Overall, wastewater epidemiology can provide unobtrusive, ongoing surveillance for diseases that is relatively cheap and convenient. Sewage testing complements clinical surveillance, especially when infections spread silently or when early detection gives public health officials a useful early warning. It’s a good thing that poliovirus has been identified in sewage before any children showed serious disease, as there is an opportunity to intervene.

But this type of surveillance is at risk without support and investment. The UK COVID-19 wastewater monitoring programme was wound down earlier this year bowing to budgetary pressures, rather than continuing and pivoting to improve our understanding of other diseases.

The potential of wastewater surveillance has been shown time and again. To realise that potential fully, closer collaboration between researchers, the water industry and policy should be fostered and supported by appropriate funding. (The Conversation) AMS AMS

(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)

Check out below Health Tools-
Calculate Your Body Mass Index ( BMI )

Calculate The Age Through Age Calculator

View More
Advertisement

IPL Auction 2025

Most Expensive Players In The Squad
Virat Kohli
₹21 CR
Josh Hazlewood
₹12.50 CR
Phil Salt
₹11.50 CR
View all
Most Expensive Players In The Squad
Rishabh Pant
₹27 CR
Nicholas Pooran
₹21 CR
Ravi Bishnoi
₹11 CR
View all
Most Expensive Players In The Squad
Jasprit Bumrah
₹18 CR
Suryakumar Yadav
₹16.35 CR
Hardik Pandya
₹16.35 CR
View all
Most Expensive Players In The Squad
Heinrich Klaasen
₹23 CR
Pat Cummins
₹18 CR
Abhishek Sharma
₹14 CR
View all
Most Expensive Players In The Squad
Ruturaj Gaikwad
₹18 CR
Ravindra Jadeja
₹18 CR
Matheesha Pathirana
₹13 CR
View all
Most Expensive Players In The Squad
Shreyas Iyer
₹26.75 CR
Arshdeep Singh
₹18 CR
Yuzvendra Chahal
₹18 CR
View all
Most Expensive Players In The Squad
Sanju Samson
₹18 CR
Yashaswi Jaiswal
₹18 CR
Riyan Parag
₹14 CR
View all
Most Expensive Players In The Squad
Venkatesh Iyer
₹23.75 CR
Rinku Singh
₹13 CR
Varun Chakaravarthy
₹12 CR
View all
Most Expensive Players In The Squad
Rashid Khan
₹18 CR
Shubman Gill
₹16.50 CR
Jos Buttler
₹15.75 CR
View all
Most Expensive Players In The Squad
Axar Patel
₹16.50 CR
KL Rahul
₹14 CR
Kuldeep Yadav
₹13.25 CR
View all
Advertisement
25°C
New Delhi
Rain: 100mm
Humidity: 97%
Wind: WNW 47km/h
See Today's Weather
powered by
Accu Weather
Advertisement

Top Headlines

Who Will Be The Next CM? Crucial Meet Of Mahayuti Leaders Underway At Amit Shah’s Residence
Who Will Be The Next CM? Crucial Meet Of Mahayuti Leaders Underway At Amit Shah’s Residence
'Ensure Religious Freedom, Security': Sheikh Hasina Slams Chinmoy Das' Arrest, Demands Immediate Release
Sheikh Hasina Slams Bangladesh Hindu Monk Chinmoy Das' Arrest, Demands Immediate Release
Priyanka Gandhi's Kasavu Saree During Parliament Oath Evokes Memories Of Grandmother Indira
Priyanka Gandhi's Kasavu Saree During Parliament Oath Evokes Memories Of Grandmother Indira
Blast Near PVR In Delhi's Prashant Vihar Injures 1; NSG Commandos At Site, White Powder & Scooter Found — Updates
Blast Near PVR In Delhi's Prashant Vihar Injures 1; NSG Commandos At Site, White Powder & Scooter Found — Updates
Advertisement
ABP Premium

Videos

Breaking News: Controversy Erupts Over Claim of Temple Inside Ajmer Dargah in RajasthanBreaking News: ED Team Attacked in Delhi's Bijwasan Area | ABP NewsSambhal Mosque Clash: Tightened Security Ahead of Namaz Following Violence | ABP NewsShocking Video from Sambhal Mosque Clash Day Will Leave You Stunned | ABP News

Photo Gallery

Embed widget