Toronto Public Health is in the process of creating a wastewater monitoring initiative to identify potential disease spread risks during the upcoming FIFA World Cup. Dr. Michelle Murti, Toronto’s recently appointed Medical Officer of Health, revealed that the trial will involve gathering sewage samples from areas where fans gather and analyzing them for various infections like COVID-19, influenza, and RSV.
Murti mentioned that the health unit is exploring the possibility of tracking other illnesses such as measles through wastewater surveillance, especially with the anticipation of a significant international audience during the event next summer. She emphasized that this additional data would supplement existing information to ensure the safety and well-being of individuals throughout the tournament.
With an estimated 300,000 out-of-town visitors expected in Toronto for six World Cup matches starting in June, the city is preparing for a substantial influx of people. The initiative follows the conclusion of Ontario’s COVID-19 wastewater monitoring program, which provided early insights into virus prevalence before symptom onset during the pandemic.
Dr. Fahad Razak, an internal medicine specialist at St. Michael’s Hospital, expressed the view that extending such surveillance beyond COVID-19, particularly for events like the World Cup, represents an innovative approach to fill the gap left by the provincial program’s discontinuation. He highlighted how Windsor-Essex County successfully utilized wastewater monitoring to detect a surge in measles cases earlier this year, emphasizing the importance of proactive public health measures.
Razak also proposed potential applications of wastewater surveillance for detecting opioid contamination during the World Cup, emphasizing the critical role of such technology in decision-making processes aimed at saving lives and reducing illness. Dr. Lawrence Goodridge, co-lead of the Guelph Wastewater Epidemiology Lab for Public Health, noted that the scaling down of the provincial program necessitated smaller, localized initiatives like the current pilot project.
Although the pilot may prove valuable in containing any significant outbreaks during the games, Goodridge highlighted its limited reach as a potential drawback, considering the mobility of individuals within and beyond Toronto during the World Cup. Dr. Murti emphasized that the pilot project will serve as a learning opportunity to assess the effectiveness of wastewater surveillance for managing future large-scale events in the city.