Automated robot and artificial intelligence-powered wastewater surveillance for proactive mpox outbreak prediction

• Published in: Biosafety and health Vol. 6; no. 4; pp. 225 - 234
• Main Authors: Ou, Guanyong, Tang, Yuxuan, Liu, Jiexiang, Hao, Yabin, Chen, Zhi, Huang, Ting, Li, Shaxi, Niu, Shiyu, Peng, Yun, Feng, Jiaqi, Tu, Hongwei, Yang, Yang, Zhang, Han, Liu, Yingxia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.08.2024; Elsevier
• Subjects: Artificial intelligence (AI) model; Automated online sewage virus enrichment robot; Early warning system; Monkeypox virus (MPXV); Mpox; Original Research; Monkeypox virus (MPXV); Mpox; Automated online sewage virus enrichment robot; Artificial intelligence (AI) model; Early warning system
• ISSN: 2590-0536; 2096-6962; 2590-0536
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bsheal.2024.07.002

•Scientific question: The accurate and early prediction of monkeypox outbreaks is essential for effective public health response. We aim to develop an integrated system using automated robotics and AI-powered wastewater surveillance to enhance the proactive detection and management of monkeypox outbreaks.•Evidence before this study: The largest-ever recorded outbreak of monkeypox since May 2022 highlighted the need for innovative surveillance methods. Traditional disease tracking methods have limitations, especially in early detection and prediction of outbreaks. There was a lack of integration between automated virus enrichment methods and AI models for predicting disease outbreaks based on environmental samples.•New findings: This study introduced an automated online sewage virus enrichment and concentration robot coupled with an AI model, demonstrating a strong correlation between the concentration of monkeypox virus (MPXV) in wastewater and clinically confirmed cases. The AI model predicted monkeypox cases with high precision, capturing 87% of the data’s variability.•Significance of the study: This research represents a significant advancement in public health surveillance for monkeypox, offering a novel, efficient, and proactive approach to predicting outbreaks. The integration of automated virus enrichment robots with AI models for analyzing wastewater samples could revolutionize the tracking and management of infectious diseases, potentially leading to earlier interventions and better outbreak control. In the wake of the largest-ever recorded outbreak of mpox in terms of magnitude and geographical spread in human history since May 2022, we innovatively developed an automated online sewage virus enrichment and concentration robot for disease tracking. Coupled with an artificial intelligence (AI) model, our research aims to estimate mpox cases based on the concentration of the monkeypox virus (MPXV) in wastewater. Our research has revealed a compelling link between the levels of MPXV in wastewater and the number of clinically confirmed mpox infections, a finding that is reinforced by the ability of our AI prediction model to forecast cases with remarkable precision, capturing 87 % of the data’s variability. However, it is worth noting that this high precision in predictions may be related to the relatively high frequency of data acquisition and the relatively non-mobile isolated environment of the hospital itself. In conclusion, this study represents a significant step forward in our ability to track and respond to mpox outbreaks. It has the potential to revolutionize public health surveillance by utilizing innovative technologies for disease surveillance and prediction.