My research focuses on pathogenic viruses in water, food, and wastewater, with two main areas of interest:
1. Evaluation of new indicators for pathogenic viruses in water
Current water quality regulations are based on fecal indicator bacteria such as E. coli and intestinal enterococci. However, these primarily reflect bacterial risks and are not effective in predicting the likelihood of infection from common viruses such as norovirus, hepatitis A virus, adenovirus, and rotavirus. These viruses contribute to a significant global disease burden, are environmentally stable, and are inefficiently removed in conventional wastewater treatment plants. My research explores alternative markers that can better predict viral presence and infection risks in water.
2. Monitoring of viruses in wastewater
Wastewater-based surveillance is a valuable tool for tracking viral diseases in communities and complementing clinical testing. At SLU and SEEC, we monitor influenza A and B viruses, RSV, and SARS-CoV-2 in 19 wastewater treatment plants across Sweden. My research involves developing visualisation tools and evaluating methods to estimate the number of inhabitants contributing to the wastewater (population normalisation).
