Open Data Insight of the Day

Monitoring viruses in wastewater is crucial because people shed viruses through urine and feces. This method provides early indications of infection trends and can detect changes in viral presence even when clinical testing rates decline. Such surveillance is vital for public health preparedness and response.

The most recent data shows concentrations of 74,000 gene copies per liter for Influenza A, 0 for Influenza B, and 60,400 for RSV. Over the past 30 days, Influenza A levels are increasing, while Influenza B remains undetected. RSV levels are stable. Compared to year-to-date and historical data, Influenza A is elevated, RSV is medium, and Influenza B is below baseline. These levels do not indicate disease severity.

Table 1 summarizes the combined viral activity over the last seven days, reflecting current conditions. Table 2 provides historical peak levels for the year, offering long-term context. This helps determine if current levels are unusual.

RSV is a common respiratory virus. Influenza A and Influenza B are viruses that cause seasonal flu. RNA is a molecule essential for coding genetic information. PCR is a technique used to amplify small segments of DNA or RNA.