The Important Role of Wastewater Epidemiology in San Diego County
Wastewater epidemiology is a relatively new scientific approach to help us find disease outbreaks early on by detecting viruses in wastewater. We learned more about this new method during the COVID-19 pandemic, because it allowed our local health officials to use this tool to spot COVID-19 problem areas and take preventive measures to protect the public. In addition, this method is found to be non-invasive and affordable, providing more complete health information than other methods.
Beyond COVID-19, wastewater epidemiology is applied to track other public health concerns such as influenza, RSV, antibiotic resistance, and drug use. These initiatives enable a non-invasive, cost-effective means of assessing community health trends, often providing more comprehensive data than traditional methods. LWD's partner agency, the Encina Wastewater Authority (EWA), has been assisting with these efforts led by UC San Diego (UCSD). UCSD is testing the wastewater samples sent by EWA and other agencies to protect community health.
As the field advances, the future of wastewater epidemiology in San Diego County looks promising. Better tools and more investment will make monitoring more accurate, helping to build a stronger health system and better health for everyone.
Read more in the recent 2024 Fall Newsletter: https://bit.ly/LWDdigital