Strengthening pathogen and antimicrobial resistance surveillance through environmental monitoring in sub-Saharan Africa: stakeholder perspectives.

Wastewater and environmental surveillance (WES) is an emerging tool for monitoring emergence and trends of waterborne, respiratory, and antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) pathogens. In many developing countries with limited pathogen surveillance systems, WES can complement and support existing monitoring efforts and strengthen pathogen surveillance capacity. This study explored priority pathogens for WES and assessed existing surveillance practices, including WES, in Tanzania, Burkina Faso, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Antibiotic resistance genes, antibiotic residues, and microplastics in influent and effluent wastewater from treatment plants in Norway, Iceland, and Finland.

Monitoring antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) in wastewater influents (pre-treatment) and effluents (post-treatment) provides insights into community-level circulation, potential amplification during treatment, and risks associated with gene release into surface waters. Pollutants such as antibiotic residues and microplastics (MPs) may influence ARG dynamics, highlighting the need to assess their dynamics across wastewater environments. In this study, we analyzed ARGs and bacterial communities using Oxford Nanopore (ONP) metagenomics and qPCR in wastewater samples from Mekjarvik (Norway), Reykjavik (Iceland), and Mariehamn (Åland, Finland).

Milk and meat safety in Nepal: addressing challenges and exploring solutions.

The transmission of zoonotic diseases through animal-derived food products poses a significant global public health challenge, with contaminated milk and meat serving as major transmission pathways. In Nepal, the growing consumption of these products has amplified the risk of foodborne illnesses, largely due to widespread bacterial contamination. This review systematically explores the prevalence, distribution, and public health significance of key bacterial pathogens, including , , , , , , and in Nepalese milk and meat products.

Seroprevalence and risk factors associated with Leptospira Hardjo among commercial dairy cattle farms of Rupandehi district, Nepal.

Background: Nepal relies on an agrarian-based economy, with the livestock sector contributing significantly to the national GDP. However, diseases like leptospirosis negatively impact cattle production and pose significant zoonotic risks. This study represents the first attempt to evaluate the risk factors of leptospirosis in cattle in Nepal.

Antimicrobial resistance in the Nordics: mapping existing surveillance systems and assessing the impact of COVID-19 using regression models.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic constituted the largest global health crisis in recent generations. It may also have disrupted the pattern of antimicrobial use (AMU) and subsequently affected the development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) - a grave human health concern. This study aimed to give an overview of existing AMR surveillance systems and evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on AMU and AMR in the Nordics using data from these systems.

Wastewater based genomic surveillance key to population level monitoring of AmpC/ESBL producing Escherichia coli.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a serious threat to global public health, but obtaining representative data on AMR for healthy human populations is difficult. Here, we leverage the power of whole genome sequencing (WGS) to screen AmpC- and extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli from 77 composite samples obtained from 10 wastewater treatment plants across Finland. We found a high abundance of multidrug-resistant AmpC/ESBL-producing E.

Emergence and Global Spread of Mpox Clade Ib: Challenges and the Role of Wastewater and Environmental Surveillance.

Several African countries, mainly the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, and Uganda, are facing highly transmissible mpox clade Ib epidemics, prompting the World Health Organization to declare a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. It has spread to key travel hubs like Kinshasa, Bujumbura, and Kampala, increasing international spread risks. Current mitigation efforts focus mainly on medical care, diagnostics, vaccination, and infection prevention, but overlook wastewater and environmental surveillance (WES).

Zoonotic diseases awareness and food safety practices among livestock farmers in Nepal.

Interactions between humans and livestock could increase the risk of zoonotic disease transmission. In addition, limited knowledge of zoonoses and foodborne diseases among livestock farmers could heighten the risks of foodborne illness and outbreaks of zoonotic diseases. This study evaluated the awareness of zoonotic diseases and preventive practices for zoonotic and foodborne diseases among livestock farmers of the Chitwan, Rupandehi, and Tanahun districts of Nepal by conducting a cross-sectional survey of 280 livestock farmers.

Aflatoxin M1 Contamination in Dairy Milk in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Aflatoxins (AFs), secondary metabolites produced by fungi, pose significant health risks, especially to children and elderly individuals. In developing countries such as Nepal, the tropical climate promotes fungal growth, leading to elevated levels of AF in animal feed and milk. In this study, we aimed to investigate the occurrence of aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) in dairy milk from the Kathmandu District and to assess husbandry practices contributing to contamination.

The effects of RT-qPCR standards on reproducibility and comparability in monitoring SARS-CoV-2 levels in wastewater.

Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) is widely used for monitoring viruses, including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), in wastewater. Various materials, including plasmid DNA, synthetic nucleic acids, PCR amplicons, genomic DNA, and cDNA, are currently used for SARS-CoV-2 quantification by generating standard curves. We assessed three common standards on quantifying SARS-CoV-2 RNA across nine wastewater treatment plants in Finland, as part of the national wastewater surveillance effort.

Campylobacter species, Salmonella serotypes and ribosomal RNA-based fecal source tracking in the Kokemäki River watershed.

Fecal contamination of surface water compromises the usability of surface water for drinking water production due to an increase in human health risks. In this study, we collected surface water samples for two years from the Kokemäki River (Finland). The downstream river stretch is used for feeding production of artificial ground water for a major drinking water treatment plant.

Simultaneous biomass concentration and subsequent quantitation of multiple infectious disease agents and antimicrobial resistance genes from community wastewater.

Wastewater-based surveillance (WBS) of infectious disease agents is increasingly seen as a reliable source of population health data. To date, wastewater-based surveillance efforts have largely focused on individual pathogens. However, given that wastewater contains a broad range of pathogens circulating in the population, a more comprehensive approach could enhance its usability.

Long-term longitudinal monitoring of SARS CoV-2 in urban rivers and sewers of Nepal.

In regions without adequate centralized wastewater treatment plants, sample collection from rivers and sewers can be an alternative sampling strategy for wastewater surveillance. This study aimed to assess the feasibility of alternative sampling strategies by testing samples collected from rivers (n = 246) and sewers (n = 244) in the Kathmandu Valley between March 2021 and February 2022. All samples were concentrated using the skimmed-milk flocculation method and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA was quantified using the nucleocapsid (N) and envelope (E) genes qPCR assays.

Key considerations for pathogen surveillance in wastewater.

Wastewater surveillance (WWS) has received significant attention as a rapid, sensitive, and cost-effective tool for monitoring various pathogens in a community. WWS is employed to assess the spatial and temporal trends of diseases and identify their early appearances and reappearances, as well as to detect novel and mutated variants. However, the shedding rates of pathogens vary significantly depending on factors such as disease severity, the physiology of affected individuals, and the characteristics of pathogen.

Avian Influenza outbreaks: Human infection risks for beach users - One health concern and environmental surveillance implications.

Despite its popularity for water activities, such as swimming, surfing, fishing, and rafting, inland and coastal bathing areas occasionally experience outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAI), including A(H5N1) clade 2.3.4.

Application of Skimmed-Milk Flocculation Method for Wastewater Surveillance of COVID-19 in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Wastewater surveillance (WS) has been used globally as a complementary tool to monitor the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) throughout the pandemic. However, a concern about the appropriateness of WS in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) exists due to low sewer coverage and expensive viral concentration methods. In this study, influent wastewater samples (n = 63) collected from two wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) of the Kathmandu Valley between March 2021 and February 2022 were concentrated using the economical skimmed-milk flocculation method (SMFM).

Advancement of membrane separation technology for organic pollutant removal.

In the face of growing global freshwater scarcity, the imperative to recycle and reuse water becomes increasingly apparent across industrial, agricultural, and domestic sectors. Eliminating a range of organic pollutants in wastewater, from pesticides to industrial byproducts, presents a formidable challenge. Among the potential solutions, membrane technologies emerge as promising contenders for treating diverse organic contaminants from industrial, agricultural, and household origins.

Effects of fine particulate matter (PM) and meteorological factors on the daily confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Bangkok during 2020-2021, Thailand.

The ongoing global pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, known as COVID-19, has disrupted public health, businesses, and economies worldwide due to its widespread transmission. While previous research has suggested a possible link between environmental factors and increased COVID-19 cases, the evidence regarding this connection remains inconclusive. The purpose of this research is to determine whether or not there is a connection between the presence of fine particulate matter (PM) and meteorological conditions and COVID-19 infection rates in Bangkok, Thailand.

Application of wastewater-based epidemiology for monitoring COVID-19 in hospital and housing wastewaters.

An alternative and complementary diagnostic method of surveillance is provided by wastewater-based surveillance (WBS), particularly in low-income nations like Nepal with scant wastewater treatment facilities and clinical testing infrastructure. In this study, a total of 146 water samples collected from two hospitals (n = 63) and three housing wastewaters (n = 83) from the Kathmandu Valley over the period of March 2021-Febraury 2022 were investigated for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) using quantitative reverse transcription TaqMan PCR assays targeting the N and E genes. Of the total, 67 % (98/146) samples were positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA either by using N- or E-gene assay, with concentrations ranging from 3.

Developing wastewater-based surveillance schemes for multiple pathogens: The WastPan project in Finland.

Wastewater comprises multiple pathogens and offers a potential for wastewater-based surveillance (WBS) to track the prevalence of communicable diseases. The Finnish WastPan project aimed to establish wastewater-based pandemic preparedness for multiple pathogens (viruses, bacteria, parasites, fungi), including antimicrobial resistance (AMR). This article outlines WastPan's experiences in this project, including the criteria for target selection, sampling locations, frequency, analysis methods, and results communication.

Antibiotic resistance monitoring in wastewater in the Nordic countries: A systematic review.

The Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden) have effectively kept lower antibiotic-resistant bacterial (ARB) pathogen rates than many other countries. However, in recent years, these five countries have encountered a rise in ARB cases and challenges in treating infections due to the growing prevalence of ARB pathogens. Wastewater-based surveillance (WBS) is a valuable supplement to clinical methods for ARB surveillance, but there is a lack of comprehensive understanding of WBS application for ARB in the Nordic countries.

Response of wastewater-based epidemiology predictor for the second wave of COVID-19 in Ahmedabad, India: A long-term data Perspective.

In this work, we present an eight-month longitudinal study of wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) in Ahmedabad, India, where wastewater surveillance was introduced in September 2020 after the successful containment of the first wave of COVID-19 to predict the resurge of the infection during the second wave of the pandemic. The study aims to elucidate the weekly resolution of the SARS-CoV-2 RNA data for eight months in wastewater samples to predict the COVID-19 situation and identify hotspots in Ahmedabad. A total of 287 samples were analyzed for SARS-CoV-2 RNA using RT-PCR, and Spearman's rank correlation was applied to depict the early warning potential of WBE.