ICMR set to monitor wastewater for 10 viruses in 50 cities

Context

• Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to scale up wastewater surveillance from 5 cities → 50 cities.

• Target: 10 viruses to be monitored (currently COVID-19 & polio).

• Purpose: Detect early rise in viral load in the community.

What is Wastewater Surveillance?

• Definition – Monitoring sewage and surface water for the presence of pathogens.

• Rationale – Many viruses are shed in human waste before symptoms appear → early detection of outbreaks.

• Application – Acts as an early warning system for community-level spread.

Viruses Under Surveillance (Current & Proposed)

1. Currently –

   • SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19)

   • Poliovirus

2. Proposed Expansion –

   • Avian Influenza Virus (AIV)

   • Other respiratory & enteric viruses (exact list TBD)

Related Surveillance Systems in India

• ILI (Influenza-like Illness) surveillance.

• SARI (Severe Acute Respiratory Illness) surveillance.

• AMR (Antimicrobial Resistance) surveillance in multiple hospitals.

Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) – Key Facts

• Definition – Microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites) evolve to resist drugs meant to kill/inhibit them.

• Consequences –

  • Ineffective treatments

  • Prolonged illness

  • Higher treatment costs

  • Increased mortality

• Relevance – WHO lists AMR as one of the top 10 global health threats.

Significance of Expanded Wastewater Surveillance

• Public Health – Early outbreak detection → timely containment measures.

• Pandemic Preparedness – Lessons from COVID-19 applied to future threats.

• One Health Approach – Links human, animal, and environmental health monitoring.

• Cost-Effective – Monitors large populations without individual testing.

Challenges

• Infrastructure & lab capacity for large-scale environmental testing.

• Standardisation of protocols across states.

• Data integration with health surveillance systems.

• Need for rapid response after detection.

Way Forward

• Build state-level labs for environmental virology.

• Integrate wastewater data with ILI/SARI/AMR surveillance.

• Train manpower in molecular detection from environmental samples.

• Establish public reporting dashboards for transparency.

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