Wastewater Surveillance

Missouri's Wastewater Surveillance Program monitors community health by testing sewage samples weekly for the viruses that cause COVID-19, influenza, and RSV. This system provides an early warning of disease spread, even from individuals who are asymptomatic or have not yet developed symptoms.

For wastewater surveillance, wastewater is sampled each week at many wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) across the state. The samples are then tested for the viruses that cause illness. Currently, these include COVID-19 virus, influenza (flu) virus and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The testing results are in the dashboard below.