The feasibility of bringing back wastewater surveillance in Hamilton to detect emerging infectious disease is being examined by city staff.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of the benefits of wastewater sampling is that it\u2019s a really cost-effective tool for public health concerns,\u201d said Dr. Robin Lennox, a Hamilton family physician. \u201cIt can be tailored to identify specific pathogens of concern based on what a local community actually identifies as their priorities, so it can look at anything from respiratory viruses to sexually transmitted infections.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lennox is one of the six new community members on the city\u2019s public health subcommittee that provides recommendations to council on policy and other matters.<\/p>\n
The doctor put forward a motion that was approved at the meeting on Monday for staff to report on the feasibility of implementing a local wastewater surveillance program to track diseases such as mpox, COVID, RSV, influenza and H5N1 or avian flu.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The feasibility of bringing back wastewater surveillance in Hamilton to detect emerging infectious disease is being examined by city staff.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of the benefits of wastewater sampling is that it\u2019s a really cost-effective tool for public health concerns,\u201d said Dr. Robin Lennox, a Hamilton family physician. \u201cIt can be tailored to identify specific pathogens of concern based on what a local community actually identifies as their priorities, so it can look at anything from respiratory viruses to sexually transmitted infections.\u201d<\/p>\n