Wastewater Pathogen Monitoring During 2024 Republican and Democratic National Conventions

112 wastewater samples were collected and assayed for up to 11 pathogens during the 2024 Republican and Democratic National Conventions. The data were generated by Peter M. V. DeJonge and published on figshare in March 2026. Concentration results were reported within 12 to 36 hours of sample collection to supplement traditional public health surveillance.

Use Cases

• Monitoring respiratory pathogen trends based on SARS-CoV-2, influenza, and RSV concentration data
• Detecting gastrointestinal pathogen outbreaks based on norovirus, Salmonella, and STEC assays
• Correlating wastewater alerts with clinical surveillance data to validate public health threats
• Evaluating the adaptation of existing WBE infrastructure for rapid event-specific monitoring

Strengths

• 112 wastewater samples provide a substantial event-specific dataset
• Results were reported with a rapid turnaround time of 12 to 36 hours
• Monitoring covered up to 11 distinct pathogens, including respiratory and gastrointestinal targets

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment
• Data is limited to two specific events in Milwaukee, WI and Chicago, IL

Provenance

Source

figshare

Collection Method

Wastewater samples collected from community water reclamation facilities and new sites near event venues, then assayed.

Time Range

2024 (during and around the Republican and Democratic National Conventions)

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-19 06:34:08; freshness should be verified

Geography

Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Chicago, Illinois, USA