CityPath

Environmental surveillance, the regular wastewater and air sampling of congregate settings, is a cost-effective and non-invasive way to protect public health. The information gathered through environmental surveillance serves as an early detection system that identifies viruses before they appear in other ways. To advance environmental surveillance both within the United States and abroad, CityPath deploys air and wastewater pathogen testing technologies through three major initiatives: CityPathExemplar, CityPathNational, and CityPathGlobal. 

CityPath Exemplar

Lungfish operates an air sampling program in healthcare facilities in Missouri and Wisconsin. Similarly, the Lungfish team conducts deep sequencing of viruses and other pathogens found in wastewater. Data from these activities have detected multiple viruses including SARS-CoV-2, influenza, and RSV. Since different viruses require different prevention methods and the populations of concern vary according to age and other factors, this data helps clinicians and public health practitioners to safeguard the community’s health. 

CityPath National 

Lungfish has built on the activities conducted in Wisconsin and Missouri to expand to other urban areas of the United States. Similar to the benefits of Lungfish’s work in Wisconsin and Missouri, the data from air and wastewater sampling results in a stronger public health response, increased community awareness and the advancement of pathogen monitoring technologies, all of which have been prioritized by municipal governments throughout the country. 

CityPath Global 

The Lungfish team is also applying its knowledge and experience in environmental surveillance to help international partners conduct air and wastewater sampling. This form of international cooperation will not only result in new knowledge about environmental surveillance, but it will also lead to innovation and refinement of sampling techniques and technologies as this work is conducted in multiple settings with diverse health systems and epidemiological profiles.