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Welcome to MHD's Wastewater Dashboard: A Powerful Tool to Fight Respiratory Illnesses


 

When to use respiratory illness prevention strategies
All of the prevention strategies described in this guidance can be helpful to reduce risk. They are especially helpful when:

  • Respiratory viruses are causing a lot of illness in your community
  • You or the people around you were recently exposed to a respiratory virus, are sick, or are recovering.
  • You or the people around you have risk factors for severe illness (many factors can make it more likely for someone to become very sick from a respiratory virus)

In addition to this guidance, there are several specific considerations for people with certain risk factors for severe illness (young children, older adults, people with weakened immune systems, people who are pregnant, and people with disabilities).

You may not be aware of the things that can make others more vulnerable to serious illness. Using the core prevention strategies will provide a degree of protection regardless. If you are unsure about the health condition or risk status of those around you, the most protective option is choosing to use additional prevention strategies, like masking, physical distancing, and testing.
 


 

What is Wastewater Disease Surveillance?
Wastewater disease surveillance is a new tool, used by health departments worldwide, to track respiratory illnesses in the community. When people are sick, viruses pass through the body in their waste, which collects into a wastewater treatment plant. Using samples provided by the wastewater collection site (also known as a sewershed) laboratories can measure the amount of virus levels in the community and use the data to monitor changes in respiratory illness cases over time.

READ FULL PRESS RELEASE HERE
 



Our Process

The City of Milwaukee Health Department (MHD) collaborates with the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) on respiratory illness wastewater surveillance from the Jones Island and South Shore sewersheds. Here's how our process works:

COLLECTING SAMPLES
MMSD sends MHD two wastewater samples each week (Mondays and Thursdays)

TRACKING ILLNESSES
The samples are tested to determine the amount of COVID-19, influenza A, influenza B, and RSV in the community

REPORTING DATA
The data is recorded in the wastewater dashboard to monitor if disease levels are decreasing, increasing, or staying constant


People in Milwaukee County can use this dashboard to track respiratory illness trends and take proactive steps to protect their health. Knowing when (and where) trends are changing can help you decide when to take safety measures.

Note: This dashboard is not optimized for mobile viewing. For the best experience, please rotate your phone horizontally. 
Do you have suggestions to improve the dashboard? Please take our feedback survey!

The Respiratory Illness Wastewater Concentration Trendline and the Stoplight Warning System will give you an understanding of how disease levels are changing in the community. Based on the current level, we recommend taking the following precautions to stay healthy:

  • Stay up to date on vaccinations
  • Avoid contact with people who feel sick
  • Follow recommendations for isolation if you are infected with a respiratory illness
  • Wash your hands frequently

 

  • Recommendations from the Low Category and
  • Wear a high-quality mask (KN95 or surgical mask) or respirator when indoors to maximize your protection from respiratory illnesses
  • If you have in-person contact with someone susceptible to serious illness, self-test for infection before contact and wear a high-quality mask when indoors with them to provide additional protection

 

  • Recommendations from the Low and Moderate Categories and
  • Avoid non-essential indoor public activities to maximize protection from exposure

 

  • What to do when you're sick
  • Respiratory illness symptoms

Respiratory illnesses can easily spread others. How long someone is contagious depends on different factors, including how sick they are (severity) and how long their illness lasts (duration). This is not the same for everyone. 

One of the most important things you can do to help prevent the spread of illness is to stay home when you have symptoms of a respiratory illness, such as a fever, cough, runny nose, or sore throat. You are less contagious once your symptoms improve overall and you have not had a fever for at least 24 hours (and are not using fever-reducing mediation). During this time, you may still be able to spread the virus to others. Taking precautions for the next 5 days can help reduce this risk. After 5 days, you are typically much less likely to be contagious. 

Individuals who have risk factors for severe illness should seek health care promptly for testing or treatment; treatment may help lower your risk of severe illness.

Click the links below for a list of symptoms for each respiratory illness:

 


 

Frequently Asked Questions

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  Why is wastewater data used by the Milwaukee Health Department?

Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, case counts were used to measure the level of COVID-19 in communities. However, with the widespread use of at-home tests, which aren't reported to health departments, this measure became less reliable. Wastewater disease surveillance allows health departments to track illness levels, regardless of testing habits.

  • Common tests (like swabs taken at the doctor's office) can only show a rise in cases as they are happening
  • Viruses can be found in human waste days before symptoms appear, or even if symptoms never develop
  • Wastewater data helps detect changes in respiratory illness levels before they are visible in reported cases
  • Many other pathogens, like influenza and RSV, can be detected in wastewater
  • Having early warning signs when cases are changing provides health agencies, clinics, and individuals a chance to prepare for a rise in respiratory illnesses
  How does the health department get wastewater data?

The Milwaukee Health Department collaborates with the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) to measure wastewater respiratory illness data from the greater Milwaukee area:

  • MMSD collects wastewater samples from Jones Island and South Shore sewersheds twice a week
  • The MHD lab tests the samples to measure the amount of respiratory illness present in Milwaukee community
  • The data is tracked on the wastewater dashboard to monitor changes in respiratory illness levels over time
  What guidance can I follow to prevent myself from getting sick?
  What are limitations of wastewater disease surveillance?

Wastewater data is useful in monitoring respiratory illness trends for planning emergency responses, but there are some limitations:

  • It is not possible to use wastewater data to confirm cases of respiratory illness in individual people

  • Wastewater surveillance is new, and the tests used to get this data can be different between states and health departments

  • This data can only be used to look at respiratory illness trends in communities that are connected to the Jones Island and South Shore sewersheds

  What is the difference between Influenza (Flu) A and B?

Influenza A and B are the two main types of flu that routinely spread in humans.

Influenza A viruses can infect both humans and animals, such as pigs and birds, while influenza B viruses only infect humans.

Influenza A viruses are more common and tend to be more aggressive and severe than influenza B viruses. 

 


 

Updated respiratory illness guidelines

On March 1st, 2024, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revised guidelines related to COVID-19 to align with existing guidance for preventing the spread of other respiratory illnesses, such as influenza (flu) and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Each year, respiratory viruses are responsible for millions of illnesses and thousands of hospitalizations and deaths in the United States. The good news is there are actions you can take to help protect yourself and others from health risks caused by respiratory viruses.

It is important to note that the updated guidance is intended for community settings. There are no changes to respiratory virus guidance for healthcare settings, including City of Milwaukee Health Department clinics. The CDC offers separate, specific guidance for healthcare settings for COVID-19, flu, and general infection prevention and control.

INTERESTED IN MORE DATA?
View and subscribe to our weekly respiratory illness reports!
Survnet Weekly Respiratory Illness Report

WANT TO HELP IMPROVE THE DASHBOARD?
Please submit your feedback through our survey, we want to hear from you!
Wastewater Dashboard Feedback Survey

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