We recently observed International Day for Safety and Health at Work to mark the importance of protecting people from hazards in the places where they live, learn, and work. While many safety risks are visible, some of the most important threats to health, including viruses and other pathogens, are invisible. New environmental surveillance approaches are helping communities detect these hidden dangers earlier than ever before.
Environmental surveillance is based on a simple idea: pathogens leave traces in the environments we share. Viruses can appear in air and water days or even weeks before people begin showing symptoms or seeking medical care. By collecting and analyzing samples from these environments, researchers can identify circulating pathogens and provide early warnings about potential outbreaks.
Wastewater surveillance has become one of the most powerful tools for this type of early detection. Because people often shed viruses before they feel sick, wastewater samples can reveal emerging infections across an entire community without requiring individual testing. The Lungfish team conducts similar wastewater surveillance using metagenomic sequencing, which is an approach that analyzes all genetic material present in a sample and enables our team to detect thousands of viruses and microbes simultaneously. By using this type of surveillance, the Lungfish team has been able to detect a wide range of pathogens including avian influenza H5N1 during initial dairy cattle outbreaks, West Nile virus, and measles, along with thousands of viral taxa.
Environmental surveillance also extends beyond water. The Lungfish project has conducted air sampling to monitor pathogens in shared indoor spaces to capture genetic material from viruses circulating in the air, including respiratory pathogens like influenza, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), and SARS-CoV-2. Up to now, air sampling workplace responses to respiratory illness have been reactive. Typically, employers have to wait for workers to develop symptoms and then wait again for laboratory confirmation. By the time results are available, transmission may already be widespread, staffing shortages may be unfolding, and many others may have been exposed. The Lungfish project is working to change that timeline.
Monitoring air in these environments can help identify potential outbreaks before they lead to widespread illness. In healthcare facilities and clinics, detecting viruses in the air can help professionals anticipate increased infection risk and adjust infection control measures or staffing plans accordingly. For example, this information could inform transmission-based precautions or staffing procedures.
These technologies are also being applied internationally. Air sampling programs have detected influenza A and ongoing SARS-CoV-2 circulation in hospital settings in Zambia, demonstrating that environmental monitoring can reveal pathogen activity even in well-ventilated spaces and in areas where traditional testing resources may be limited.
Researchers are also exploring whether air monitoring can improve detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in treatment facilities in Nepal, where the disease remains a major challenge to health workers and the broader community.
Together, these efforts represent a new model for protecting health and safety. As we observe the International Day for Safety and Health at Work, we recognize that environmental surveillance provides workplaces with timely, unbiased insight into circulating pathogens. These innovations underscore a critical shift: environmental surveillance equips workplaces to respond more quickly and build safer environments for everyone.