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From Washington State University Extension, this is Food Safety in a Minute.

Did you know wastewater may provide early warning signs of foodborne disease? The National Wastewater Surveillance System was established in 2020 to monitor Covid.

In a recently reported study led by Ed Dudley at Pennsylvania State University, disease-causing Salmonella was identified in wastewater and patients. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Salmonella makes more than a million Americans sick each year leading to 26,000 hospitalizations. Though required, health care providers often do not report this foodborne illness making it difficult for public health authorities to identify community outbreaks. Using genome sequencing, researchers believe monitoring wastewater for pathogens could provide early warning for outbreaks, allow for quick tracebacks and food recalls, reducing foodborne illness.

Thanks for listening.

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Resources:

Mulhollem, Jeff. Wastewater Monitoring Can Detect Foodborne Illness, Researchers Find (9/19/24). Research - Pennsylvania State University, Pennsylvania State University News. https://www.psu.edu/news/research/story/wastewater-monitoring-can-detect-foodborne-illness-researchers-find?utm_medium=email&utm_source=rasa_io&utm_campaign=newsletter. Accessed online 9/24/24.