New testing for measles virus in St. Mary’s County wastewater was launched in May as part of WastewaterSCAN, a national pilot study of Stanford University in partnership with Emory University, to test wastewater samples across the country. A person with an infection can shed virus in their urine or feces. Monitoring wastewater is a tool for early detection of emerging illness in a community and allows healthcare providers and public health agencies time to prepare before cases may be known or disease spreads. The WastewaterSCAN pilot study began testing wastewater samples for different infectious agents in early 2023, and added measles virus in May 2025. Data from this national study is now available to the public on their data dashboard. Thus far, five wastewater samples collected from the Marlay Taylor Water Reclamation Facility have been tested for measles virus markers. The first sample on May 16 detected measles virus; subsequent testing on multiple days from the same facility did not detect measles virus. At this time, there have been no confirmed measles cases in St. Mary’s County. St. Mary’s County Health Department (SMCHD) reminds the community to stay aware of measles signs and symptoms and keep up to date with measles vaccination. Measles […]
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