How disease detectives are hunting for viruses at major U.S. airports
CBSN
In the past year, over 135 million passengers traveled to the U.S. from other countries. To infectious disease experts, that represents 135 million chances for an outbreak to begin. To identify and stop the next potential pandemic, government disease detectives have been discreetly searching for viral pathogens in wastewater from airplanes. Experts are worried that these efforts may not be enough.
The CDC's Traveler Genomic Surveillance Program tests wastewater from airplanes, looking for pathogens that may have hitched a ride with passengers on long-haul international flights. This program operates with participating airlines at four major airports: Boston, San Francisco, New York's John F. Kennedy, and the Washington, D.C., area's Dulles.
CBS News received exclusive on-site access to this program, which launched in September 2021 and has since expanded, thanks to a federal government grant of $120 million.
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