Lab Matters Summer 2025 | Page 21

INDUSTRY MATTERS treatment plants across Addis Ababa: Kality, Bulbula and Mikililand. Using the methods they learned while visiting Ceres Nanosciences, they analyzed these samples for traces of SARS-CoV-2. The results were striking: viral RNA was detected in 94 % of untreated wastewater samples, signaling widespread infection in the community, even as officially reported COVID-19 cases remained relatively low.

Bridging the Gap Between Clinical and Environmental Data

One of the most significant findings from this study was the stark contrast between wastewater-based infection estimates and reported clinical cases. In the catchment area served by the Kality Treatment Plant, for example, researchers estimated that the number of infected individuals was approximately 330 times higher than the number of cases officially reported during the study period. This suggests that many infections— whether mild, asymptomatic or simply unreported— went undetected by traditional healthcare-based surveillance methods.

For public health officials in Ethiopia, and in similar settings worldwide, this kind of information is invaluable. By using wastewater as an early warning system, governments and health agencies can detect disease surges before hospitals begin to see an uptick in severe cases. This allows for more proactive responses, such as targeted public health messaging, resource allocation and emergency preparedness planning.

A Model for the Future

As Ethiopia and other countries continue to strengthen their public health surveillance systems, WBE presents a scalable, cost-effective strategy to complement clinical testing. Beyond COVID-19, this method holds promise for tracking other infectious diseases, such as cholera, measles and antimicrobialresistant bacteria.

The success of this project demonstrates that even in resource-limited settings, innovative and collaborative approaches can enhance disease monitoring and response. By embracing wastewater surveillance as part of its public health toolkit, Ethiopia, Kenya, Zambia and Mozambique are paving the way for more data-driven, proactive disease control strategies— an approach that could benefit countless other nations facing similar challenges. g

Ceres Nanosciences is an APHL Platinum Level Sustaining Member.