Next-Gen Wastewater-Based Epidemiology

Next-Gen Wastewater-Based Epidemiology | ColoSSoS and Beyond

At Ozwater 2021 Water Research Australia will host two 90-minute panel sessions to showcase the incredible work being conducted in Victoria and around the country and internationally on sewage surveillance for SARS-CoV-2.

The ColoSSoS Project – Collaboration on Sewage Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 – is a major national collaborative effort, that has seen experts in health, microbiology, laboratory testing and wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) all come together to foster research and create positive impact throughout our communities.

More than a year after WaterRA commenced the ColoSSoS Project to support the nation’s pandemic response, the panel of experts will demonstrate its impact, the research behind it and what it means for the future of wastewater-based epidemiology.

Members of the ColoSSoS Project’s Victorian Node will present on the state’s sewage sampling research, including passive sampling, genomic sequencing and interlaboratory trials.

“When it comes to global disease outbreaks and pandemics, the public health response is often targeted at communities on a clinical level, including testing, social measures and eventual vaccinations,” ColoSSos Project Director Kelly Hill said.

“The water industry’s response to COVID-19 has demonstrated that in the future, there is scope for wastewater-based epidemiology to lead alongside other measures in the public health response, to keep communities safe.

“The collaborative nature of ColoSSoS has broken down established boundaries across disciplines and industries, redefining the way the water sector works and creating a blueprint for an integrated future.”

To read more about the ColoSSoS panel session at Ozwater ’21 please click here. To register and view the full terms and conditions set by the event host, Australian Water Association, please click here.