Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41626364›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in public health2025

Public health actions in response to pathogen detection in wastewater and the environment: a scoping review.

Maarten de Jong, Jolinda de Korne-Elenbaas, Ewout Fanoy, Gertjan Medema, Miranda de Graaf, Maria Prins, Maarten F Schim van der Loeff, Joost Daams, Ana Maria de Roda Husman, Janneke C M Heijne

Abstract readScoping Review
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Maarten de JongDepartment of Infectious Diseases, Public Health Service Amsterdam (GGD Amsterdam), Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Jolinda de Korne-ElenbaasSwiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Eawag, Dübendorf, Switzerland.
Ewout FanoyDepartment of Infectious Diseases, Public Health Service Region Utrecht (GGD Regio Utrecht), Utrecht, Netherlands.
Gertjan MedemaKWR Water Research Institute, Nieuwegein, Netherlands.
Miranda de GraafDepartment of Viroscience, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Maria PrinsDepartment of Infectious Diseases, Public Health Service Amsterdam (GGD Amsterdam), Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Maarten F Schim van der LoeffDepartment of Infectious Diseases, Public Health Service Amsterdam (GGD Amsterdam), Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Joost DaamsMedical Library, Amsterdam UMC Location University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Ana Maria de Roda HusmanCentre for Infectious Disease Control (CIb), National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, Netherlands.
Janneke C M HeijneDepartment of Infectious Diseases, Public Health Service Amsterdam (GGD Amsterdam), Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Funding

Pathogen Data NetworkU24AI183840 · NIAID · SWISS INSTITUTE OF BIOINFORMATICS · PI Christophe Dessimoz, Sam Fo Halabi · 2024 to 2026
$9.1M
NIAID NIH HHS U24 AI183840
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction: Rapid detection of infectious disease agents is crucial for timely public health responses. Wastewater and environmental surveillance (WES) offers a complementary approach by detecting pathogens shed by infected individuals, including asymptomatic cases. This scoping review provides an overview of reported public health actions in response to WES for human pathogens. It also summarizes sampling and analysis methods and offers insights for future implementation. Methods: The protocol for this review was registered in the PROCEED open-access registry. A systematic search was conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Web of Science for peer-reviewed literature published up to 31 July 2024. Studies were included if they reported public health actions in response to WES related to infectious diseases in human populations. Two reviewers independently screened studies and extracted data on public health responses, sampling, and analytical methods. Results: Of the 6,630 articles screened, 49 met the inclusion criteria. Most studies (92%) were published between 2021 and 2024, with SARS-CoV-2 as the primary focus (82%), followed by poliovirus (16%). Research was largely conducted in high-income regions: North America (51%), Asia (22%), and Europe (14%). Target populations included urban residents (57%) and on-campus students (31%) and local authorities were more often involved in WES efforts than national agencies (51% vs. 33%). In 75% of studies, at least two public health actions were implemented, and 20% reported five or more. The most common actions related to reactive disease control ( Conclusion: While reporting on public health actions following WES remains limited, this review illustrates its potential to inform timely, local interventions. Future studies should broaden pathogen targets, embed public health action planning in study design, and expand WES use in low-resource settings.

Indexed as

Environmental MonitoringPublic HealthWastewaterCOVID-19HumansSARS-CoV-2Wastewaterinfectious agents detectionpublic health responsewastewater analysis methodswastewater monitoringwastewater sampling methodswastewater surveillance

Identifiers

PMID41626364
PMCPMC12855521

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.