County launches program that can quickly track diseases

What started as an ad-hoc project shared by two of San Diego’s key research institutions is now a permanent part of the region’s public health infrastructure.

On Wednesday, San Diego County Public Health Services launched its own wastewater infectious disease surveillance system, publishing weekly data on SARS-CoV-2, influenza A and B and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, with plans to expand to M-pox, hepatitis A and measles in the near future. A $2.5 million federal grant is also funding work to begin looking for high-risk drugs, such as cocaine and methamphetamine.

The site, now live in the public health section of the county’s website, sandiegocounty.gov, presents an easy-to-read weekly summary of which viruses are on the rise in the community. In its inaugural posting on Wednesday, the signal is strongest for influenza A, which, supporting graphs show, has significantly increased in San Diego County as it has in other communities in recent weeks.

It’s exactly the scenario that wastewater has proven to be indispensable for. While the county’s weekly respiratory virus reports have not yet begun to detect a spike in cases, wastewater provides a more immediate signal when viral activity increases. While it may take some time for infected ...