National Wastewater Surveillance Data for Monkeypox Virus

United States wastewater data tracks monkeypox virus concentration over time from multiple sampling locations. The dataset is compiled by the CDC's National Wastewater Surveillance System (NWSS) from state health departments, CDC-Verily contracts, and the WastewaterSCAN partnership. Data is updated weekly on Fridays.

Use Cases

• Forecast regional monkeypox trends using `pcr_target_avg_conc` and `sample_collect_date` time series.
• Analyze geographic spread by joining `state_territory` and `county_fips` with public health records.
• Assess lab method performance by comparing `pcr_target_detect` rates across different `major_lab_method` entries.
• Estimate population exposure by correlating `population_served` with `pcr_target_avg_conc` values.

Strengths

• Data sourced from a national surveillance system (CDC NWSS) aggregating multiple providers.
• Includes detailed laboratory metadata columns like `concentration_method`, `extraction_method`, and `pcr_type`.
• Weekly update frequency provides near-real-time monitoring capability.

Limitations

• Sample size and row count are unknown, limiting assessment of statistical power.
• Data coverage may be biased towards locations with established wastewater testing infrastructure.
• Results are described as experimental and not intended for clinical diagnosis.

Provenance

Source

CDC's National Wastewater Surveillance System (NWSS), with contributions from state/territory health departments, CDC-Verily, and WastewaterSCAN.

Collection Method

Wastewater samples collected and analyzed via PCR methods, with metrics calculated and reported to CDC.

Freshness

Updated weekly on Fridays.

Geography

United States sampling locations, indicated by `state_territory` and `county_fips` columns.