Sewage detectives: how UKHSA is using wastewater to track common viruses and emerging threats

https://ukhsa.blog.gov.uk/2026/09/23/sewage-detectives-how-ukhsa-is-using-wastewater-to-track-common-viruses-and-emerging-threats/ Sewage treatment works with an image inset of Sejal Wadhia, Business Operations Manager and Zarqa Khan, Junior Project Manager in the Immunisation & Vaccine Preventable Diseases Division (IVPD) The wastewater that we send from our toilets towards sewage treatment plants every day is potentially rich in data about our health. For the past 4 years, UKHSA has been monitoring wastewater across England for signs of polio, and over the past year has been testing new technologies to detect other potential threats. The next phase of the programme – made possible by a £3 million investment from the UK Integrated Security Fund (ISF) - will expand our capabilities and enable us to publish new data. What is PRISM, and why does it matter? Pathogen Risk Intelligence through Surveillance and Modelling (PRISM) is UKHSA's expanding wastewater and environmental surveillance programme, designed to detect a wide range of pathogens that could affect public health. What makes PRISM different from traditional wastewater surveillance is that it isn't limited to a single pa...