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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Science
Melody Schreiber

Wastewater sampling could be key to early warning of new disease outbreaks

a person with gloved hands pours dirty water into a container
An operator pours wastewater at a treatment plant in Maine to be sent for testing for Covid-19 in 2022. Photograph: Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Portland Press Herald via Getty Images

Wastewater sampling could predict new disease outbreaks and the emergence of new variants of pathogens weeks or months before they become widespread, new research shows.

Pathogen monitoring in sewer systems, including on airplanes, can reveal which viruses and bacteria are present and cause outbreaks, two studies indicate.

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