The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) has unveiled a new interactive online dashboard that uses wastewater data to monitor the spread of respiratory viruses across the state.
The Kansas Wastewater Monitor for Respiratory Viruses dashboard gives residents, policymakers, researchers, and health partners access to real-time information on virus detections in participating communities. Along with tracking data, the dashboard includes guidance on how Kansans can protect themselves during periods of increased illness.
“The dashboard shares both our data and our interpretations clearly and transparently so people can make informed decisions about their health,” said Dr. John Anderson, KDHE Informatics and Molecular Epidemiology program director. “Essentially, this dashboard will be another resource that Kansans can use to understand what germs are making our communities sick.”
KDHE’s Informatics and Molecular Epidemiology program oversees the state’s wastewater pathogen monitoring system, which identifies viruses at wastewater treatment facilities. This type of surveillance can detect Influenza A and B, RSV, and the virus that causes COVID-19—often revealing increases in viral activity before hospitals begin to see a rise in patients. KDHE emphasizes that the testing process is fully anonymous and protects individual privacy.
The new dashboard includes data from nine wastewater treatment plants across three counties: Reno County, Shawnee County, and Johnson County. Residents outside these areas can still view statewide summaries and overall trends. Participation in the program is voluntary, requiring wastewater facility operators and local officials to opt in.
KDHE says the dashboard is the result of a collaborative effort involving treatment facility staff, local health departments, city and county commissioners, and support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Officials hope the data will help communities stay ahead of seasonal illness waves and make more informed public-health decisions.