CDC expands disease surveillance to include flu and RSV at four major US airports
The CDC is enhancing disease surveillance at major US airports, now covering 30+ pathogens including flu, RSV, and respiratory viruses Stay informed with CNN Health's weekly newsletter
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is broadening its infectious disease surveillance program at four key US airports to encompass over 30 pathogens, such as flu, RSV, and other respiratory viruses.
The Traveler-based Genomic Surveillance program, overseen by the CDC's Travelers Health Branch, was implemented amidst the Covid-19 pandemic to identify emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants and other pathogens by collecting nasal swabs and wastewater samples from international travelers arriving at US airports.
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According to Dr. Cindy Friedman, head of the CDC's traveler genomic surveillance program and chief of the agency's Travelers Health Branch, it is crucial to track new infections among travelers. Currently, the program is conducting Covid-19 surveillance at seven major international airports in the United States. As part of a pilot program, it will now expand to include testing for over 30 bacteria, antimicrobial resistance targets, and viruses such as influenza A and B, as well as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), at Boston Logan International Airport, San Francisco International Airport, Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C., and John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York.
The traveler surveillance program was launched in 2021 by the CDC. It involves collecting nasal swab samples from international travelers upon arrival at participating airports. These travelers willingly participate in the program by volunteering to provide their samples. The main objective of the program is to obtain sufficient samples for testing and genomic sequencing. This allows for prompt identification of potential threats entering the country from various parts of the world.
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Since last month, the surveillance program has conducted nasal swab sampling on over 370,000 travelers, with approximately 6,000 travelers voluntarily participating on a weekly basis. The program has gathered samples from travelers hailing from over 135 countries and has analyzed more than 14,000 samples for further investigation.
Introduced in August 2022, the wastewater program utilizes a specialized collection device to gather wastewater from a solitary plane. These samples are subsequently transported to a laboratory for RT-PCR testing. In the event of positive findings for a specific pathogen, such as Covid-19, the samples undergo complete genome sequencing to identify any variants.
According to Friedman, analyzing a single sample obtained from an aircraft arriving from a distant location could potentially provide us with information about 200 to 300 individuals who were onboard.
Since its establishment, the agency has collaborated with Ginkgo Bioworks, a biotechnology company dedicated to developing a worldwide biosecurity framework that empowers governments, communities, and public health officials in their efforts to prevent, detect, and respond to various biological hazards.
Matthew McKnight, the biosecurity general manager at Ginkgo Bioworks, emphasizes that the implementation of surveillance programs like TGS aims to proactively deter the occurrence of future health crises, such as the Covid-19 pandemic.
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"The ideal scenario involves concurrently implementing similar initiatives worldwide in numerous locations, thus ensuring prompt detection compared to relying solely on hospital visits when an emergent situation arises," elucidated McKnight. "The essential concept revolves around preventing a pandemic by promptly identifying and swiftly integrating new developments into the vaccine production process. Unfortunately, our current ability to receive early warnings falls short of our aspirations. Nevertheless, we are in the initial phases of establishing this crucial system."
TGS has identified various Covid-19 variants, such as Omicron BA.2, BA.3, XBB, and BA.2.86, entering the United States before official reports were made, thanks to wastewater testing and nasal swabbing. The program's current focus is on monitoring the emergence of respiratory viruses during the cold and flu season.
Based on CDC data, the rate of Covid-19 hospitalizations remains stable, with around 15,700 hospital admissions per 100,000 people in the week ending on October 28. Similarly, the number of Covid-19-related deaths has not seen any significant changes, with less than 600 deaths reported in the past week.
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According to CDC data, although the flu season is showing a slight increase nationwide, the overall activity is still low. In the week ending October 28, public health laboratories reported 189 cases of influenza. Of these cases, 77% were identified as influenza A, while 23% were influenza B. Friedman emphasized the importance of sequencing these respiratory pathogens to better understand their genomic characteristics.
Friedman underscores the significance of understanding the evolution of viral strains and pinpointing their country of origin.
"Many areas across the globe lack adequate testing and surveillance," she emphasized. "Typically, we prioritize airports that serve as international hubs and receive flights from diverse international destinations."
CNNs Deidre McPhillips contributed to this report.
