Overview

• Sampling covered four river basins and four area types arranged in a 4×4 grid spanning wild, agricultural, urban and lake zones.
• The first three weeks of samples from urban, sewage and floodwater sources revealed 28 distinct human-pathogenic agents.
• Sludge samples exhibited markedly higher pathogen concentrations than floodwaters, raising concerns about dust-borne transmission.
• Researchers identified ubiquitous Escherichia coli and wild Vibrio cholerae strains alongside viruses, protozoa, helminths and insect vectors.
• Coordinated by Universitat de València with support from Canary Islands’ tropical diseases institute and INCLIVA, the team will partner with global centers to extend environmental surveillance through 2028.