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Presenter: Anish Doki

Faculty Sponsor: Caitlyn Butler

School: UMass Amherst

Research Area: Disease Detection, Prevention & Treatment

Session: Poster Session 1, 10:30 AM - 11:15 AM, Auditorium, A88

ABSTRACT

Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is a vital tool for disease and pathogen monitoring at the community level. In 2020, a highly contagious strain of avian influenza (H5N1) emerged and as of August 2024, an outbreak in the United States has resulted in 13 confirmed human cases along with widespread detection across municipal sewer-sheds. Current methods of detecting H5N1 involve the use of digital polymerase chain reaction (dPCR) techniques. This approach allows for the detection of ribonucleic acid (RNA) fragments that may be remnants of the viral genome, persisting in sewers long after viral degradation. This study looks to develop an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique which can detect intact influenza viral proteins in wastewater and complement molecular detection of H5N1 in wastewater. The methodology will address wastewater dilution by optimizing concentration techniques, including salt precipitation and ultrafiltration. By applying ELISA techniques for the detection of whole viral protein in wastewater, this work can distinguish between active viral infection within a catchment population and legacy viral remnants. Using WBE to keep track of H5N1 would allow for continuous monitoring of H5N1 in human populations but could also be applied to agricultural settings.