WastewaterSCAN Dashboard Now Tracking Influenza H5

#18,099

Two weeks ago, in EnvSciTech: Detection Of H5 HA In Municipal Wastewater Solids With Increases in Influenza A in Spring, 2024, we looked at a report from the research team at @WastewaterSCAN which found evidence of H5 in wastewater solids in 4 facilities in communities (in Texas and North Carolina) reporting H5N1.

In their twitter feed, @WastewaterSCAN also announced that H5 testing would be added to their existing wastewater surveillance dashboard, and those results would be made public. 

Yesterday tracking of the H5 Influenza A subtype went live on their dashboard (see below), which already tracks a dozen different pathogens. 

Screenshot of website showing reporting locations.  Use menu on left to select pathogens.

While their testing can't differentiate between LPAI and HPAI H5 viruses, and it can't tell us the source (animal or human), it does deliver more precise information than the CDC's dashboard, which currently only detects influenza A (albeit across a larger network). 

As far as this first update is concerned, out of 194 testing locations, 14 (mostly in Texas & Michigan) showed recent evidence of H5 in the wastewater. 

Since these are places with known H5N1 in cattle, this is hardly surprising.  However, two states - Minnesota and Iowa - which have not reported H5N1 in cattle (but have reported it in poultry) also tested positive. 

While we can't draw any firm conclusions from this evidence, it provides us with another valuable, and timely, tool to help track the spread of influenza H5 across the nation. 

Stay tuned.