The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is increasing its Traveler-based Genomic Surveillance (TGS) program to offer early detection of influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and different respiratory viruses along with COVID-19.
According to a Nov. 8 Passenger Terminal Today report, the CDC will pilot over the following a number of months with companions Ginkgo Bioworks and XWELL to watch over 30 viruses, micro organism, and antimicrobial-resistant pathogens. Under the pilot, samples that take a look at optimistic will endure genetic sequencing, with outcomes uploaded to public well being databases to tell policymakers.
The expanded surveillance was initially launched at 4 main worldwide airports: New York, San Francisco, Boston, and Washington D.C.
“The expansion of the Traveler-based Genomic Surveillance program to flu, RSV, and other pathogens is essential as we head into fall respiratory season,” stated Dr. Cindy Friedman, chief of CDC’s Travelers’ Health Branch. “The TGS program, which began during the Covid-19 pandemic, acted as an early warning system to detect new and rare variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and will do the same for other respiratory viruses going forward.”
Sampling could embrace voluntary nasal swabs
Launched in 2021, TGS makes use of three approaches at seven U.S. airports: voluntary nasal swabs of arriving worldwide vacationers, wastewater sampling, and assortment of air samples from plane cabins. TGS offered early detection of the SARS-CoV-2 BA.2.86 variant inside days of its world identification, informing public well being officers it had unfold to Asia after originating from a traveler from Japan.
As of September 2023, over 360,000 air vacationers have voluntarily and anonymously participated in TGS, overlaying flights from over 135 nations throughout all World Health Organization areas.
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