An innovative outbreak detection program that tracks viruses that cause disease in wastewater identified the measles virus in Houston samples collected in early January 2025, before the cases were reported. The team that developed the program, which includes researchers from Baylor College of Medicine, the Public Health School of the University of Texas Health Sciences – Houston, the Houston Department of Health and the University of Rice, published its findings in the American Journal of Public Health.
The researchers detected the virus in wastewater using a sequencing -based approach, a highly sensitive and specific method that analyzes the genetic material. This strategy could have wide implications for public health, particularly as a sentinel surveillance system to detect virus before generalized outbreaks occur. The findings are relevant and timely as measles cases increase in Texas and the rest of the country and the study offers a promising strategy to get ahead of possible outbreaks.
“In 2023, we show that the systematic sequencing of genetic material in wastewater reveals dynamic changes in human viruses that circulate in a community. It is important to highlight that analyzing these viral changes in wastewater can improve our understanding of shoots and transmission and inform the preparation of public health, just like one uses meteorological data to better understand and weather patterns to anticipate potentially dangerous conditions.” Joseph Melnick gave chair and teacher in molecular virology and microbiology in Baylor.
In the current study, the researchers reported that their wastewater surveillance program detected the measles virus in samples collected on January 7 in two Houston water treatment facilities that serves more than 218,000 residents. A parallel investigation confirmed on January 17, the measles virus in two travelers residing in the same area served by the sampled water treatment plants.
“In such cases, our next step is always to validate the signal with a second method, and we could do it through a collaboration with the Houston Health Department and the University of Rice,” said author Dr. Sara Javornik Cregeen, assistant professor at the Alkek Center for Metagenomics and Microbiome Research in Baylor. “They tested the presence of the virus in samples of the same date and collection site and confirmed the signal using another technique, PCR.”
“As a reference, the 821 Houston wastewater samples that we sequence from the same area were negative for measles virus in the previous 31 months,” he added.
“Because no other cases have been informed and the detections occurred in the same area where travelers resided, it is reasonable to assume that the measles signal detected in wastewater is one of the two infected cases, which underlines the high sensitivity of the method,” Marsoso said.
“With the lessons learned from the Sarampos De Houston detection event, we are now working with our public health partners to collect data on the current measles outbreak in western Texas. Although it is not reported here, our program has been to monitor the measles in wastewater of those sites also, with the hope that information can help the officials in advance of this virus,” said the author of the author of the author of the authority of the author The assistant teacher of Molecular Virology and Microbiology at Bayatl.
Currently, researchers are not detecting measles virus in wastewater in Houston, but detect it in the cities of western Texas. The team continues to register the weekly activity of possible viruses and reports the results in the first of its type of health board based on sequencing that is publicly available in https://tephi.texas.gov/early detection.
Dr. Eric Boerwinkle, dean of the Uthealth Houston School of Public Health and co-corresponding author, said that “this work underlines the capacity of sophisticated wastewater analysis to serve as an early detection system that benefits public health, medical care and communities to prevent a sprout of Sespo in the Cijero.”
He continues to remind us that “the best protection against the measles virus is the MMR vaccine, which has been shown to be safe and effective.”