Measles Testing in Wastewater Underway in Colorado
Colorado has initiated testing for measles in wastewater, providing public health officials with an early warning system for potential outbreaks.
Wastewater can be an early alert system and it can give us a community level view of what's going on
According to Shannon Matzinger, Genomics Surveillance Program Manager at the state lab in Denver, this method has proven effective in detecting COVID-19 and is now being applied to track measles, a highly contagious airborne disease.
- Testing wastewater for measles is a new development in Colorado.
- A pilot program starting in May demonstrated the effectiveness of this approach.
- The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has added measles wastewater surveillance data to its public dashboard.
Author's summary: Colorado tests wastewater for measles, enhancing outbreak detection.