Monitoring Multiple Sexually Transmitted Pathogens Through Wastewater Surveillance
Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) offers a promising tool for sexually transmitted infection (STI) surveillance, especially in settings where underdiagnosis or social stigma complicates conventional reporting. To assess its utility, we conducted a year-long study examining six STIs, <i>Chlam...
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MDPI AG
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Pathogens |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/14/6/562 |
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| author | Balghsim Alshehri Olivia N. Birch Justin C. Greaves |
| author_facet | Balghsim Alshehri Olivia N. Birch Justin C. Greaves |
| author_sort | Balghsim Alshehri |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) offers a promising tool for sexually transmitted infection (STI) surveillance, especially in settings where underdiagnosis or social stigma complicates conventional reporting. To assess its utility, we conducted a year-long study examining six STIs, <i>Chlamydia trachomatis</i>, <i>Treponema pallidum</i>, <i>Neisseria gonorrhoeae</i>, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and herpes simplex virus (HSV), in weekly composite samples from the primary influent of a small-sized Midwestern wastewater treatment plant. Pathogen detection and quantification were performed via digital PCR. Among the tested targets, Gonorrhea, HIV, HCV, and HSV were detected at the highest frequencies, often in 40–50% of the samples, while Chlamydia and Syphilis appeared less frequently. Despite the variability in detection patterns, this study demonstrates that even infrequent signals can reveal community-level shedding of poorly reported or asymptomatic infections. Although month-to-month wastewater data were not strongly correlated with corresponding clinical records, which could potentially reflect delayed healthcare seeking and pathogen-specific shedding dynamics, the overall findings underscore WBE’s ability to complement existing surveillance by capturing infections outside traditional healthcare channels. These results not only advance our understanding of STI prevalence and population shedding but also highlight the practical benefits of WBE as an early warning and targeted intervention tool. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-71c0f8a57f8b415b8e037826b01f5860 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2076-0817 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Pathogens |
| spelling | doaj-art-71c0f8a57f8b415b8e037826b01f58602025-08-20T02:21:49ZengMDPI AGPathogens2076-08172025-06-0114656210.3390/pathogens14060562Monitoring Multiple Sexually Transmitted Pathogens Through Wastewater SurveillanceBalghsim Alshehri0Olivia N. Birch1Justin C. Greaves2Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Indiana University-Bloomington, Bloomington, IN 47408, USADepartment of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Indiana University-Bloomington, Bloomington, IN 47408, USADepartment of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Indiana University-Bloomington, Bloomington, IN 47408, USAWastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) offers a promising tool for sexually transmitted infection (STI) surveillance, especially in settings where underdiagnosis or social stigma complicates conventional reporting. To assess its utility, we conducted a year-long study examining six STIs, <i>Chlamydia trachomatis</i>, <i>Treponema pallidum</i>, <i>Neisseria gonorrhoeae</i>, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and herpes simplex virus (HSV), in weekly composite samples from the primary influent of a small-sized Midwestern wastewater treatment plant. Pathogen detection and quantification were performed via digital PCR. Among the tested targets, Gonorrhea, HIV, HCV, and HSV were detected at the highest frequencies, often in 40–50% of the samples, while Chlamydia and Syphilis appeared less frequently. Despite the variability in detection patterns, this study demonstrates that even infrequent signals can reveal community-level shedding of poorly reported or asymptomatic infections. Although month-to-month wastewater data were not strongly correlated with corresponding clinical records, which could potentially reflect delayed healthcare seeking and pathogen-specific shedding dynamics, the overall findings underscore WBE’s ability to complement existing surveillance by capturing infections outside traditional healthcare channels. These results not only advance our understanding of STI prevalence and population shedding but also highlight the practical benefits of WBE as an early warning and targeted intervention tool.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/14/6/562wastewater-based epidemiologyHIVSTD/STIchlamydiagonorrheasyphilis |
| spellingShingle | Balghsim Alshehri Olivia N. Birch Justin C. Greaves Monitoring Multiple Sexually Transmitted Pathogens Through Wastewater Surveillance Pathogens wastewater-based epidemiology HIV STD/STI chlamydia gonorrhea syphilis |
| title | Monitoring Multiple Sexually Transmitted Pathogens Through Wastewater Surveillance |
| title_full | Monitoring Multiple Sexually Transmitted Pathogens Through Wastewater Surveillance |
| title_fullStr | Monitoring Multiple Sexually Transmitted Pathogens Through Wastewater Surveillance |
| title_full_unstemmed | Monitoring Multiple Sexually Transmitted Pathogens Through Wastewater Surveillance |
| title_short | Monitoring Multiple Sexually Transmitted Pathogens Through Wastewater Surveillance |
| title_sort | monitoring multiple sexually transmitted pathogens through wastewater surveillance |
| topic | wastewater-based epidemiology HIV STD/STI chlamydia gonorrhea syphilis |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/14/6/562 |
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