The UK Health Security Agency will expand wastewater surveillance in England over the next two years, testing samples from sewers, hospitals and busy sites for Ebola, Marburg, Lassa fever and other threats to provide an early warning of outbreaks.
Called Prism (pathogen risk intelligence through surveillance and modelling), the programme will move beyond tests for single pathogens to screen for a range of viruses and bacteria, spot emerging variants, and monitor drug-resistant bacteria and fungi, including hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae and Candidozyma auris.
Early Prism testing tracked norovirus in wastewater and distinguished strains circulating across the country with AI tools. The UK already monitors sewage for polio; its detection in London in 2022 prompted a campaign to ensure children were vaccinated.
