Directions for wastewater-based surveillance in Europe – insights from the EU-WISH 2025 International Workshop

<ns5:p>In recent years, wastewater-based surveillance (WBS), also referred to as wastewater environmental surveillance (WES), has developed into an important and promising tool for monitoring pathogens, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and a wide range of chemical substances. To further develop, strengthen and institutionalise WBS capacity across Europe, public health organisations from 26 countries have joined forces in the European Joint Action project “EU-Wastewater Integrated Surveillance for Public Health” (EU-WISH). Half-way through the project implementation period, an International Workshop and Consortium Meeting was held at University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland, which connected EU-WISH partners and external stakeholders. A series of thematic breakout-sessions held at this workshop provided reflections on progress and developments in the rapidly growing WBS field. Here, we position the EU-WISH project in the WBS landscape and summarise key insights, current EU-WISH activities, and continued challenges. This open letter aims to set direction for and inform the future development of WBS in Europe, while maintaining a global outlook. Topics presented and discussed include: prioritisation of targets for surveillance; cross-border comparisons of WBS data in a landscape of multiple analysis set-ups; integration and institutionalisation within the field of WBS; sustainable training and capacity building; and networks, actors and the need for continued cooperation. The derived insights underscore the need for sustained EU-level coordination, institutionalised WBS programmes and integration of WBS into public health systems across Europe.</ns5:p>

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Publication Details

Journal
Open Research Europe
Published
2026-06-25
DOI
https://doi.org/10.12688/openreseurope.23935.1
Primary Topic
Fecal contamination and water quality
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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article

Directions for wastewater-based surveillance in Europe – insights from the EU-WISH 2025 International Workshop

Steen Ethelberg, Hans Peter Stüger, Elisabete Valério, Anastasia Koutsolioutsou et al.
Open Research Europe
Fecal contamination and water quality
article

Directions for wastewater-based surveillance in Europe – insights from the EU-WISH 2025 International Workshop

Steen Ethelberg, Hans Peter Stüger, Elisabete Valério, Anastasia Koutsolioutsou, Marie Lesenfants, Anna O. Kildemoes, L. Toro, Wim G. Meijer, Iria González‐Mariño, Blandine Fauvel, Henry‐Michel Cauchie, Michalis Koureas, Lene Wulff Krogsgaard, Maria Petala, Márta Vargha, Pikka Jokelainen, Alexander Schattschneider, Veronik Hutse, Dimosthenis Chochlakis, Benoît Gassilloud, Tarja Pitkanen, Sara Castiglioni, Albert Bosch, Jerome Lock-Wah-Hoon, Jos van Vlerken, Kate Medlicott, Elisabetta Suffredini, Evangelia Ntzani, N Thomaidis, Maria Stamou, Teemu Gunnar, Maximillian Riess, Heike Schmitt, Niamh Tiernan, Rosa M. Pintó, Joanne Chadwick, Guiseppina La Rosa, Willemijn Lodder, Bilge Kocamemi, Grigoris Spanakos, José A. Baz Lomba, Xenofon Bakouras, Ábel Cs. Németh, Bernd M. Gawlik
article en

Abstract

<ns5:p>In recent years, wastewater-based surveillance (WBS), also referred to as wastewater environmental surveillance (WES), has developed into an important and promising tool for monitoring pathogens, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and a wide range of chemical substances. To further develop, strengthen and institutionalise WBS capacity across Europe, public health organisations from 26 countries have joined forces in the European Joint Action project “EU-Wastewater Integrated Surveillance for Public Health” (EU-WISH). Half-way through the project implementation period, an International Workshop and Consortium Meeting was held at University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland, which connected EU-WISH partners and external stakeholders. A series of thematic breakout-sessions held at this workshop provided reflections on progress and developments in the rapidly growing WBS field. Here, we position the EU-WISH project in the WBS landscape and summarise key insights, current EU-WISH activities, and continued challenges. This open letter aims to set direction for and inform the future development of WBS in Europe, while maintaining a global outlook. Topics presented and discussed include: prioritisation of targets for surveillance; cross-border comparisons of WBS data in a landscape of multiple analysis set-ups; integration and institutionalisation within the field of WBS; sustainable training and capacity building; and networks, actors and the need for continued cooperation. The derived insights underscore the need for sustained EU-level coordination, institutionalised WBS programmes and integration of WBS into public health systems across Europe.</ns5:p>

Open Research EuropeVol. 6
University College Dublin (IE), Statens Serum Institut (DK), University of Copenhagen (DK), Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NO), University of Helsinki (FI), University of Crete (GR), University of Thessaly (GR), Universidad de Salamanca (ES), University of Ioannina (GR), Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research (IT), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (US), National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (GR), Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (GR), Robert Koch Institute (DE), European Commission (BE), Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (FI), University College Copenhagen (DK), Santé Publique France (FR), Office of Readiness and Response (US), National Public Health and Medical Officer Service (HU), National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (NL), World Health Organization (CH), Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LU), National Institute of Health (AM), Joint Research Centre (DE), Agence Nationale de Sécurité Sanitaire de l’Alimentation, de l’Environnement et du Travail (FR), National Institute of Health Dr. Ricardo Jorge (PT), Sciensano (Belgium) (BE), Institut thématique Santé Publique (FR), National Public Health Organization (GR), Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AT), European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (SE), Universitat de Barcelona (ES), Marmara University (TR)
EU4Health
Openalex Percentile: Top 13%
Fecal contamination and water quality
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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