Wastewater surveillance network launched to detect disease outbreaks during FIFA World Cup

An anticipated five million soccer fans from around the world will travel to 16 host cities across three countries to cheer on teams from packed stadiums, creating a perfect petri dish for disease spread.

Dozens of health organizations and research groups have formed an independent surveillance network to track the presence of dangerous pathogens in community wastewater—a sentinel for potential outbreaks.

The network, coordinated by the Health Security Operations Center in Washington, D.C., aims to forecast potential disease threats—from measles to Ebola.