The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is set to expand its wastewater surveillance programme to cover 10 viruses across 50 cities over the next six months. This move aims to detect early signs of viral outbreaks and monitor infection trends at the community level. Currently, only five cities are under surveillance, primarily focusing on COVID-19 and polio viruses. The expansion will enhance India’s ability to respond swiftly to emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases.
Wastewater Surveillance – An Emerging Public Health Tool
Wastewater surveillance involves analysing sewage samples to detect viruses and bacteria shed by infected individuals. This method captures data from symptomatic, asymptomatic, and pre-symptomatic populations. It offers a cost-effective, non-invasive way to monitor infectious diseases across large populations. By detecting pathogens early, it enables timely public health interventions and resource allocation to control outbreaks.
Viruses and Symptoms Under Surveillance
ICMR’s expanded programme will track 10 viruses, including those causing fever, diarrhoea, acute encephalitis syndrome, and respiratory distress. The surveillance will also cover Avian Influenza Virus in outbreak-prone areas by monitoring surface and wastewater. This broadens the scope beyond COVID-19 and polio and helps identify multiple viral threats simultaneously.
Factors Driving Increased Pathogen Surveillance
India faces rising risks from viral, bacterial, and zoonotic diseases due to population growth, rapid urbanisation, environmental changes, and increased human-animal contact. These factors contribute to the emergence and re-emergence of pathogens. Wastewater surveillance provides important early warning system to detect these threats before clinical cases surge.
Methodology of Wastewater Surveillance
Infected individuals shed viral or bacterial fragments through bodily waste. These fragments enter the sewage system via toilets, sinks, or drains. Wastewater samples are collected before treatment and sent to laboratories for analysis. Results are typically available within five to seven days, allowing near-real-time monitoring of infection trends.
Applications Beyond Disease Detection
Wastewater data supports public health decisions such as increasing testing, vaccination drives, or issuing preventive guidelines. It also aids environmental monitoring by assessing water quality and identifying pollution sources. This dual role strengthens ecosystem management and public health simultaneously.
Global and National Efforts
The World Health Organization and the United Nations Environment Programme promote wastewater and environmental surveillance as part of global health security. India’s Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme and ICMR’s Influenza-Like Illness and Severe Acute Respiratory Illness monitoring complement wastewater efforts to build a comprehensive disease surveillance system.
Future Prospects
Expanding wastewater surveillance to more cities and pathogens will enhance India’s preparedness against pandemics. It offers a scalable and efficient method to track multiple infections simultaneously. Continued capacity building and integration with existing surveillance networks will improve early detection and containment strategies.
Questions for UPSC:
- Discuss the significance of wastewater-based epidemiology in public health surveillance and its potential impact on pandemic preparedness.
- Critically examine the challenges posed by rapid urbanisation and environmental changes in controlling emerging infectious diseases in India.
- Explain the role of environmental surveillance in ecosystem management and public health, with suitable examples from India and abroad.
- With suitable examples, discuss how integrated disease surveillance programmes complement novel methods like wastewater surveillance in managing infectious diseases.
