As the CDC ( 2021 ) notes , the DMI “ is how our nation will move from siloed and brittle public health data systems to connected , resilient , adaptable , and sustainable ‘ response-ready ’ systems that can help us solve problems before they happen and reduce the harm caused by the problems that do happen .”
health threats around the globe . On any given day , this team of CDC staff monitors between 30 to 40 different public health threats globally , but it also trains partner countries to establish and use event-based surveillance so they , too , can have an early warning system that supports the country ’ s ability to adhere to the International Health Regulations . I think there ’ s a lot of opportunity here for innovation . This is the age of big data , and we need more engagement with industry and academia to better understand how to better detect a true signal of an emerging threat from a background of immense digital noise .”
Among those early warnings is wastewater surveillance , and in 2022 , CDC launched its National Wastewater Surveillance System , which is currently receiving data from more than 1,400 communities across 50 states on SARS-CoV-2 variants and their impacts . It is also optimizing molecular assays for additional pathogens . “ Wastewater surveillance can be an early indicator of the number of people with COVID-19 in a community that is either increasing or decreasing ,” Walke explained . “ And importantly , unlike other types of COVID-19 surveillance , wastewater surveillance does not depend on people having access to healthcare or testing .”
Walke pointed to a study from Wisconsin researchers published in the MMWR earlier this year showing the usefulness of wastewater surveillance
to track community spread of other respiratory pathogens , including influenza , influenza and RSV . “ During 2023 , respiratory season concentrations of influenza A virus and RSV in wastewater samples in three major Wisconsin cities were compared with emergency department visits associated with these paths . In all three cities , higher concentrations of influenza and RSV in wastewater were associated with higher numbers of associated emergency department visits . Using wastewater surveillance for detection is in its infancy , but these are some promising results in terms of serving as early warning signs .”
Walke then explained how last fall , the CDC published the first iteration of the Data Modernization Initiative ( DMI ) implementation plan , designed to guide the implementation of key priorities . “ The goal is to create scalable , flexible systems that will address crises and work for any disease or condition .”
As the CDC ( 2021 ) notes , the DMI “ is how our nation will move from siloed and brittle public health data systems to connected , resilient , adaptable , and sustainable ‘ response-ready ’ systems that can help us solve problems before they happen and reduce the harm caused by the problems that do happen . Grounded in this ambitious vision , the DMI Implementation Strategy brings the best of what has been learned from our experience with COVID-19 , opioids , flu , Zika , EVALI , and other emergencies and