A survey of the representativeness and usefulness of wastewater-based surveillance systems in 10 countries across Europe in 2023

Abstract

Wastewater-based surveillance (WBS) has become a widespread method to monitor transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and other human pathogens in Europe. We conducted a survey about WBS systems' objectives, approaches, representativeness and usefulness in 10 invited European countries in 2023, i.e. Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Norway. All countries completed the study questionnaire about their SARS-CoV-2 WBS systems, and shared information about WBS of other pathogens as deemed relevant. SARS-CoV-2 WBS systems primarily monitored national and subnational trends (population coverage: 25-99%), and a majority (8/10) also tracked variant distribution. Nine of 10 countries reported that their SARS-CoV-2 WBS systems were representative of their population and all countries remarked that the findings were valuable for public health decision-making. Results were shared with relevant public health authorities and published via dedicated websites and/or dashboards. WBS systems of other pathogens were mostly in the early stages, with some countries implementing pilots. Notable exceptions were the well-established poliovirus surveillance systems in Finland, Italy and the Netherlands. This study brings understanding the diverse landscape of WBS in Europe, offering insights for future developments and collaborations. Furthermore, it highlights the need for further integration of WBS into other European surveillance systems.

Keywords: Europe; Public Health Surveillance; Representativeness; SARS-CoV-2; Usefulness; Wastewater-based epidemiological monitoring; infectious disease.

Figure 1

Overview of the SARS-CoV-2 wastewater-based surveillance systems in 10 European countries, 2023

Figure 2

Overview of the wastewater-based surveillance systems targeting pathogens other than SARS-CoV-2 in 10 European countries, 2023