InfinitePath

The next pandemic is likely to be caused by a respiratory pathogen because of their high rate of transmissibility from person to person. As a result, health security experts have identified surveillance of respiratory pathogens as a key component of pandemic preparedness. InfinitePath will help respond to this need for surveillance of respiratory pathogens by developing and implementing a cutting-edge, pathogen-agnostic sequencing approach for the detection and monitoring of respiratory and gastrointestinal viruses in indoor air samples. 

The impact of InfinitePath activities may result in:

• Enhanced Health Facility Preparedness. By providing a versatile platform for detecting all of the viruses in the air simultaneously, InfinitePath will significantly improve our ability to identify and respond to unexpected viral threats. If we can advance to on-site pathogen detection from air via sequencing, then the menu of pathogens to survey is no longer restricted by targeted PCR assays and a facility can gain greater awareness of the space in which they reside. This will enable health professionals to take appropriate infection prevention and control measures to safeguard public health. 
• Reduced Disease Burden. By collecting data on respiratory and gastrointestinal viruses through InfinitePath, the Lungfish team will facilitate the early detection of these pathogens and accelerate health professionals’ ability to intervene and stop the transmission of intervention. Armed with data on which viruses may be circulating in the air, specific mitigation activities can be implemented which are tailored to the needs of the specific pathogens identified through InfinitePath activities. 
• Viral Ecology Advancement.The comprehensive viral data generated through InfinitePath will provide insight into the dynamics of viral circulation and transmission in air samples. Surveying all of the viruses that can be detected in air at different points throughout the year may uncover patterns of virus transmission that are missed when a small number of viruses are tested using targeted approaches.
• Scalable Surveillance Models. The success achieved in Wisconsin and Missouri can be replicated in other cities in the United States and abroad. Through InfinitePath, the Lungfish team will map out their activities and create protocols that can be used and tailored to the needs of other areas.