bioMérieux launches WATCHFIRE™ to track pathogens in wastewater

FRANCE – bioMérieux, a French in vitro diagnostics company, has announced the launch of its WATCHFIRE™ molecular Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) testing solution designed to deliver real-time trending of viruses and bacteria present in wastewater samples. 

For use on the BIOFIRE FILARRAY TORCH system, and integrated with FIREWORKS™ software, the WATCHFIRE R Panel is a unique 22-target multiplex PCR test that detects nucleic acids of common respiratory viruses and bacteria shed in faeces and detectable in wastewater samples, in approximately 45 minutes.

Among the 22 targeted pathogens, the viral targets include: Adenovirus; four seasonal coronaviruses (229E, HKU1, NL63, and OC43); Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2); Human metapneumovirus; Human rhinovirus/enterovirus; Influenza A (including subtypes A/H1, A/H3, and A/H1-2009); Influenza B; Parainfluenza viruses 1 through 4; and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV).

The bacterial pathogens detected are: Bordetella parapertussis, Bordetella pertussis, Chlamydia pneumoniae, and Mycoplasma pneumoniae.

In addition to detecting pathogens of concern, wastewater also allows the detection of Antimicrobial Resistance Genes. 

Wastewater and Antimicrobial Resistance Genes

Wastewater and Environmental Surveillance (WES) is a testing method used to estimate the health status of a given population by measuring the downstream presence or quantity of associated pathogens. It involves disease surveillance using samples from sewage or other environmental waters impacted by human wastewater.

The unregulated sale of antibiotics without prescriptions, along with the release of unmetabolised antibiotics and their residues into the environment via faecal matter, manure, and industrial waste, turns waste-handling environments, such as municipal sewage systems and wastewater treatment plants, into reservoirs of antibiotic residues, nutrients, resistant microorganisms, and Antimicrobial Resistance Genes.

WATCHFIRE™ in application

Using the web-hosted FIREWORKS™ software compatible with bioMérieux’s molecular BIOFIRE® range, an early warning alert can be provided from the detection and trending of pathogens from composite wastewater influent samples taken from community-level watersheds. These alerts may help Public Health authorities make data-driven decisions and take appropriate actions. 

“Wastewater and environmental surveillance have become important public health strategies for detecting and monitoring infectious diseases at a population level. Monitoring trends over time can enable the early detection of an outbreak and can aid in our understanding of the disease burden in a community,’’ Dr Charles K. Cooper, Executive Vice President, Chief Medical Officer, bioMérieux, stated.

Early detection will provide essential insights for public health professionals to quickly identify trends in wastewater pathogens, inform strategies for containment and improve resource management planning.

“With the launch of the WATCHFIRE™ Solution, bioMérieux continues to demonstrate its commitment to empowering clinicians and public health officials with the latest technology to help make the world a healthier place,” Dr. Cooper remarked.

The WATCHFIRE R Panel, designed to detect respiratory pathogens present in wastewater, will be available worldwide in the second quarter of 2025. 

It will be followed by the WATCHFIRE™ Gastrointestinal (G) panel, addressing enteric pathogens in sewage, in the third quarter, to further expand Biomérieux’s presence in the wastewater and environmental surveillance segment.

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