A Perspective on Wastewater and Environmental Surveillance as a Public Health Tool for Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Mohammad Shehryaar Khan, Christian Wurzbacher, Anna Uchaikina, Boris Pleshkov, Olga Mirshina, Jörg E. Drewes

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Geographical variations in infectious diseases create differences in public health priorities between high- and low-income countries. Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) face resource constraints that limit adherence to international monitoring standards for wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE). The development of low-cost WBE programs, such as those to detect SARS-CoV-2, offers LMICs a promising tool for monitoring pathogens of local concern. In this work, we summarize important wastewater biomarkers for LMICs and their associated public health challenges, ranging from pathogens causing gastroenteritis to putative markers for plant diseases linked to food safety, as well as antimicrobial resistance. We raise awareness of the great potential of WBE for LMICs and highlight the critical health markers, research needs, and strategies necessary to establish tailored wastewater surveillance programs.

Original languageEnglish
Article number238
JournalMicroorganisms
Volume13
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 2025

Keywords

  • antimicrobial resistance
  • food-, water-, and vector-borne illnesses
  • low- and middle-income countries
  • wastewater and environmental surveillance (WES)
  • wastewater-based epidemiology

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