COVID-19 can cause severe infection in some people, including children, and can lead to hospitalization and even death. People who have received COVID-19 vaccines can still experience infections, although their risk of severe illness and hospitalization is greatly reduced.

Influenza kills about 12,000 to 52,000 Americans per year and has the potential to cause pandemics. The capacity to relate wastewater influenza levels to case data will not only increase the health security of New York against a potential future influenza pandemic, but also provide early warning of community spread including hospitalization forecasting, especially during flu season.

RSV is an acute, seasonal respiratory virus that causes an estimated 58,000–80,000 hospitalizations among children under 5 years of age and 60,000–160,000 hospitalizations among adults aged ≥65 years in the US each year. Wastewater surveillance can help track the spread of RSV in the community, especially during the winter months when RSV is most common.

Measles is a serious respiratory disease that causes rash and fever. It is very contagious. People with measles spread the virus by coughing or sneezing into the air. You can catch the disease by breathing in the virus or by touching an infected surface and then touching your eyes, nose, or mouth. You can get measles just by entering a room that an infected person visited up to two hours before.

Norovirus is a highly contagious virus that causes acute vomiting and diarrhea and is responsible for approximately half of all food-borne outbreaks in the US. It is often spread through contaminated food or water, direct contact with an infected person, or touching contaminated surfaces. Wastewater surveillance can help identify where norovirus is circulating in the absence of outbreaks.

Polio is a life-threatening disease that can affect the brain and spinal cord and cause paralysis or even death. This makes polio very dangerous, especially for New Yorkers and children who are unvaccinated. The best way to protect yourself and your children is by staying up to date with your polio immunization schedule.

Hepatitis A is a highly contagious liver infection caused by the hepatitis A virus. It is usually transmitted person-to-person through the fecal-oral route or consumption of contaminated food or water. Wastewater surveillance can help detect hepatitis A cases and outbreaks early and guide public health responses.

Candida auris (C. auris) is an emerging multidrug-resistant yeast that represents a global health threat. Candida auris causes severe illness in hospitalized patients and persons needing ventilator support in long term care facilities. Infections caused by Candida auris may not respond to commonly used antifungal drugs, making them difficult to treat.

Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) poses a significant global threat. The major concern with antimicrobial resistance is the spread of resistant bacterial populations. Wastewater surveillance of AMR will help local health officials estimate prevalence and population-level risk of antibiotic resistance, as well as identify emerging threats.