Toronto Public Health is in the process of establishing a wastewater monitoring initiative to identify any potential disease spread during the FIFA World Cup. Dr. Michelle Murti, Toronto’s new Medical Officer of Health, announced that the program will gather sewage samples from areas with high fan concentrations and analyze them for infections like COVID-19, influenza, and RSV.
The health unit is also exploring the possibility of monitoring other diseases such as measles in wastewater due to the anticipated large international audience during the upcoming summer event. Dr. Murti emphasized that this surveillance program will complement existing safety measures to ensure the well-being of attendees.
Toronto officials predict around 300,000 out-of-town visitors during the six World Cup matches scheduled to begin in June. The recent conclusion of Ontario’s COVID-19 wastewater surveillance program has led experts like Dr. Fahad Razak to advocate for the continued use of this technology beyond the pandemic era.
Dr. Razak, an internal medicine specialist at St. Michael’s Hospital, praised the innovative application of wastewater surveillance at a major event like the World Cup as a means to address the void left by the provincial program’s termination. He highlighted the potential for detecting diseases like measles and monitoring opioid contamination during the tournament.
Dr. Lawrence Goodridge, co-lead of the Guelph Wastewater Epidemiology Lab for Public Health, noted that the discontinuation of Ontario’s widespread wastewater program has led to the need for more focused initiatives such as this pilot project. While the current pilot may have limited coverage, it is considered valuable in preparing for potential outbreaks during the games.
Dr. Murti reiterated that the pilot program will serve as a valuable learning experience to evaluate the effectiveness of wastewater surveillance for future large-scale events in Toronto.
