ANALYSIS OF THE RESULTS OF WASTEWATER TESTING FOR THE PRESENCE OF THE SARS-COV-2 CORONAVIRUS AND INFLUENZA VIRUSES IN RIVNE REGION
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32782/pub.health.2026.1.1Keywords:
wastewater, SARS-CoV-2, influenza viruses, monitoring, PCR, surveillanceAbstract
Topicality. The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, has demonstrated the need to develop effective epidemiological surveillance systems capable of promptly detecting the spread of infectious diseases within populations. One of the promising approaches is wastewater monitoring, which allows obtaining information about the circulation of pathogens in a community regardless of the level of population testing.
Purpose to detect and analyze the presence of RNA of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and influenza viruses in wastewater, as well as to assess the feasibility of using wastewater monitoring as a tool for epidemiological surveillance of the circulation of respiratory infections in the population.
Materials and methods. The study employed a комплекс of laboratory, analytical, and statistical methods to detect the genetic material of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza viruses in wastewater.
Results. A comparison of wastewater testing data with the results of routine surveillance for influenza and SARS-CoV-2 revealed an important pattern: an increase in pathogen concentration in wastewater by more than 1.5 times within a week indicates a potential rise in disease incidence in the population over the following 7–14 days. This finding highlights the effectiveness of wastewater-based monitoring as an early warning tool for predicting and preventing disease outbreaks.
Conclusions. The study of wastewater for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza viruses is a relevant and перспективний напрям, which contributes to improving public health systems, enhancing the effectiveness of epidemiological surveillance, and ensuring timely response to health threats
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