US CDC to expand surveillance of traveler samples for respiratory viruses (updated)

Ginkgo Bioworks Holdings

06/11/2023 17:51

(Adds details from CDC representative interview in paragraphs
4-6)
       Nov 6 (Reuters) - The U.S. Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC) said on Monday it was expanding testing of
samples collected from international air travelers beyond
COVID-19, to include flu and respiratory synctial virus (RSV)
beginning November.
    The agency's traveler-based genomic surveillance program, or
TGS, began in 2021 to help with early detection of new
SARS-CoV-2 variants. CDC conducts voluntary nasal swabbing and
airport wastewater sampling as part of it.
    The program includes seven participating international
airports across the country - Los Angeles, New York's John F.
Kennedy, San Francisco, Boston Logan, Washington Dulles, Seattle
and Newark. 
    "Our focus is always on airports that are international hubs
and have flights coming in from a broad array of international
locations so we can get a picture of what's going on globally
and detect concerning strains early," said Cindy Friedman Chief
of CDC's Travelers' Health Branch. 
    Of the 6,000 nasal swab samples collected every week under
the program, about 2,000 are tested for respiratory diseases,
Friedman said, adding that nasal swabs from two of seven
participating airports have been tested since October.
    Wastewater sampling from some of the airports began in
November, Friedman added without providing details of the
locations. 
    The pilot expansion, which will last for several months,
comes ahead of the U.S. winter months when respiratory-disease
causing viruses usually circulate more heavily. 
    CDC has warned that it expects hospitalizations from
COVID-19, RSV infections and flu this year to be similar to last
year's numbers, higher than the pre-pandemic levels. 
    TGS is a public-private partnership between the health
agency, and the expansion project is being implemented by
biotech company Ginkgo Bioworks  DNA.N  and wellness holding
company XWELL  XWEL.O . 

 (Reporting by Bhanvi Satija in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini
Ganguli)
 ((Bhanvi.Satija@thomsonreuters.com; Outside U.S. +91
9873062788;))