Jordyn Harrington
Research Mentor: Marisa Eisenberg
Mentor Department: Epidemiology & Complex Systems, Public Health
Author(s): Jordyn Harrington, Abigail Monahan, Betsy Salzman, Marisa Eisenberg
Session: Session 2 (10:00 AM – 10:50 AM)
Presentation Type: Poster 135
Abstract
PERISCOPE is a project that monitors how individuals contribute to the concentration of viruses in wastewater. The study focuses on pathogens such as Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), COVID-19, and Influenza, which can be detected in wastewater by analyzing fecal and urine samples from individuals who are currently sick or between illnesses. This is the second year of the PERISCOPE study, expanding on the original SCOPE (Shedding Community Pathogen Evaluation) project. After receiving approval from the University of Michigan Institutional Review Board, we began enrolling participants through UMHealthResearch.org as well as inviting past participants from the first year. We enrolled 35 participants, who provided weekly urine and fecal samples along with self-reported symptoms and a nasal swab test for FluA+B+COVID. If a participant tested positive and reported two or more influenza-like symptoms, they transitioned to daily sampling. Testing the viral quantities in individuals’ samples is done by digital droplet Polymerase Chain Reaction (ddPCR). These data help clarify how viruses move through the body, enter wastewater systems at various levels, and ultimately support improved public health surveillance by better correlating wastewater values to community burden of respiratory viruses.
