Wastewater Monitoring for Monkeypox and SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Sublineages: Lessons Learned from the COVID-19 Pandemic

Several academic, industry and public health laboratories successfully implemented wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) to track community-wide infection trends during the COVID-19 pandemic. Shedding patterns of the monkeypox virus (hMPXV), a burgeoning, worldwide, and rapidly spreading pathogen, reveal a putative candidate for WBE.

This webinar will discuss how Bio-Rad and GT Molecular are working together to harness ultrasensitive, Droplet Digital PCR (ddPCR) approaches to quantify and track outbreaks of hMPXV. The presentation will also address the use of ddPCR to quantify and distinguish other wastewater-borne pathogens, including the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron sublineages BA.1, BA.2.12.1, BA.4, and BA.5.

Attendees of this webinar will learn about:

• The worldwide spread of hMPXV and the pandemic declaration by the World Health Network.

• The potential for ultrasensitive ddPCR in community-wide wastewater surveillance programs.

• Proof-of-principle for using ddPCR in WBE monitoring for hMPXV, including potential limits of detection and other implementation considerations.