Whole genome influenza wastewater surveillance

Weekly wastewater surveillance of influenza from eight sampling locations during 2024 was conducted as part of the "AMELAG: Wastewater Monitoring for Epidemiological Situation Assessment" project in Germany. An amplicon panel targeting all eight segments of influenza, including influenza A (seasonal and avian subtypes) and influenza B was used to prepare the sequencing library, which was then sequenced using IonTorrent S5 and Genexus platforms. The goal of the project was to monitor subtypes and mutational diversity across Germany for an entire year. Sampling included five metropolitan areas, with three sampling sites within the Frankfurt am Main region, and one major international airport.