Can India's drains help us prevent the next pandemic?

Imagine a real-time warning system for global pandemics. Wastewater surveillance may be able to do just that. Here’s how.

Could wastewater surveillance unlock early warning systems for future pandemics? In India, where one-third of wastewater flows openly, this age-old technique is being resurrected with promising results.

Varsha Shridhar and Dr. Angela Chaudhuri, with backing from the Skoll Foundation, are testing sewage for pathogens, tracking illnesses in real-time before symptoms emerge. This robust detection mechanism has potential not only for diseases like COVID-19, but also for antimicrobial resistance and tuberculosis.

Despite the initial skepticism, their pioneering work in Bangalore is expanding to other cities in India and even to countries like Cambodia and the Philippines, making the invisible visible and potentially saving countless lives.

We created this video in partnership with the Skoll Foundation.

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Read more of our stories on public health:
What smart toilet seats reveal about digital health’s evolution
New mRNA universal flu vaccine against all known subtypes takes promising first steps
Bird flu is everywhere. Are the vaccines ready?
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Watch our original series:

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No politics, no gossip, no cynics. At Freethink, we believe the daily news should inspire people to build a better world. While most media is fueled by toxic politics and negativity, we focus on solutions: the smartest people, the biggest ideas, and the most ground breaking technology shaping our future.
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[keripalajanata]

"Poop is a great equalizer" needs to be on a t shirt

[AdmiralSP]

Our team is also working on something similar.
We use sewage water to track disease outbreak in our area.

The things we find studying only sewage is fascinating.

[CameronWIV]

To clarify, the thesis of this is advocacy for the testing of sewar treatment plants. But rather than say that, they try to glamorize open sewars and make them seem like a way forward. I'm pretty sure we can all agree that raw sewage being piped into our river ways and polluting places to fish, swim and otherwise live is not advantageous. Especially as things like microplastic, opioids and estrogens are becoming more common in our pharmaceutical ridden culture.

[bigmock]

Open drain is not necessary because you can do that in sewage line

[wovasteengova]

They should just build a small facility connecting it to a "tester" that just constantly tests the water. Based on a set interval. Maybe that's the future.

[venkatraoirla]

IF WE HAVE OPEN DRAINS THEN WE MUST HAVE A OPEN STP'S THEN ONLY WE CAN CHANGE WE NEED TO FILTER IT BEFORE ENTERING INTO NEARBY WATER BODIES., THEN ONLY WE CAN MAKE THE FUTURE BETTER PLACE FOR EVERYONE.

[patrickmckowen]

What did I miss -- why are they not building waste treatment plants?
Just like all other countries, poor government planning?
Best wishes to all.

[tsrinath]

Great effort, Varsha and Angela.
More strength to the team Swasti!

[Anthony-quqd]

Here is a better idea...Build a real sewage system! Heck, even the British did this in the 1800s!

[semikolondev]

" a tool for equity" please...stop with this BS and just do science.