In this section
@article{Grimm:2025:10.1016/j.lanmic.2025.101187,
author = {Grimm, SL and Kaufman, JT and Rice, DP and Whittaker, C and Bradshaw, WJ and McLaren, MR},
doi = {10.1016/j.lanmic.2025.101187},
journal = {Lancet Microbe},
title = {Inferring the sensitivity of wastewater metagenomic sequencing for early detection of viruses: a statistical modelling study},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.lanmic.2025.101187},
volume = {6},
year = {2025}
}
TY - JOUR
AB - Background Metagenomic sequencing of wastewater (W-MGS) can in principle detect any known or novel pathogen in a population. We aimed to quantify the sensitivity and cost of W-MGS for viral pathogen detection by jointly analysing W-MGS and epidemiological data for a range of human-infecting viruses. Methods In this statistical modelling study, we analysed sequencing data from four studies of untargeted W-MGS to estimate the relative abundance of 11 human-infecting viruses. Corresponding prevalence and incidence estimates were obtained or calculated from academic and public health reports. We combined these estimates using a hierarchical Bayesian model to predict relative abundance at set prevalence or incidence values, allowing comparison across studies and viruses. These predictions were then used to estimate the sequencing depth and concomitant cost required for pathogen detection using W-MGS with or without use of a hybridisation capture enrichment panel. Findings After controlling for variation in local infection rates, relative abundance varied by orders of magnitude across studies for a given virus. For instance, a local SARS-CoV-2 weekly incidence of 1% corresponded to a predicted SARS-CoV-2 relative abundance ranging from 3·8 × 10<sup>−10</sup> to 2·4 × 10<sup>−7</sup> across studies, translating to orders-of-magnitude variation in the cost of operating a system able to detect a SARS-CoV-2-like pathogen at a given sensitivity. Use of a respiratory virus enrichment panel in two studies greatly increased predicted relative abundance of SARS-CoV-2, lowering yearly costs by 27-fold (from US$7·87 million to $287 000) and 29-fold (from $1·98 million to $69 100) for a system able to detect a SARS-CoV-2-like pathogen before reaching 0·01% cumulative incidence. Interpretation The large variation in viral relative abundance after controlling for epidemiological factors indicates that ot
AU - Grimm,SL
AU - Kaufman,JT
AU - Rice,DP
AU - Whittaker,C
AU - Bradshaw,WJ
AU - McLaren,MR
DO - 10.1016/j.lanmic.2025.101187
PY - 2025///
TI - Inferring the sensitivity of wastewater metagenomic sequencing for early detection of viruses: a statistical modelling study
T2 - Lancet Microbe
UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.lanmic.2025.101187
VL - 6
ER -
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