Worrying COVID ‘cicada’ variant spreads as US maps go dark
Public health experts are raising alarms as the centres for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Wastewater Surveillance System (NWSS) faces a significant reduction in federal funding. Under a proposed budget plan, the programme’s annual budget is set to drop from approximately $125 million to roughly $25 million, a shift that could jeopardize the nation’s ability to track infectious diseases.
The NWSS, which monitors more than 1,000 sites across the U.S., was established under the 2020 CARES Act and later expanded through supplemental pandemic-era legislation. The American Society for Microbiology recently warned the Senate Appropriations Committee that the agency has exhausted its supplemental resources and will lack the funding necessary to sustain the programme beyond September 30, 2026.
The Challenge of Emerging Variants
The funding uncertainty arrives as a new COVID-19 variant, BA.3.2—also known as “cicada”—spreads across the country. Data indicates the variant has already been detected in 25 states. While experts note that it does not currently appear to cause more severe symptoms than previous strains, its mutations allow for a partial escape from existing neutralizing antibody responses.
Andrew Pekosz, chair of the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology at Johns Hopkins University, described the variant as having mutations that allow it to evade much of the immunity present in the population. However, he noted that the variant is spreading slowly and has rarely become the dominant strain in any specific region.
Potential Consequences for Public Health
If funding is reduced to $25 million, practitioners warn that the scope of the programme will likely shrink to just a few states, limiting the system to tracking only seasonal pathogens like influenza or RSV. Dave Larsen, chair of the Public Health Department at Syracuse University, noted that such a reduction would remove the ability to monitor outbreaks of high-consequence diseases like Ebola, hantavirus, or measles.
The People’s CDC coalition is currently mobilizing public support, with thousands of constituents contacting Congress to demand a permanent extension and full funding for the system. Amy Pruden-Bagchi, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Virginia Tech University, warned that cutting this programme now would be a significant setback, as it undermines the critical infrastructure established to protect communities from future public health threats.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the wastewater surveillance programme facing a budget cut?
The programme was previously supported by supplemental funding provided during the COVID-19 pandemic. As these temporary funds have been exhausted, the programme now faces a transition to a significantly lower annual budget under the current plan.
What diseases does the NWSS track?
The system is designed to monitor a variety of infectious diseases, including COVID-19, influenza, measles, polio, Mpox, and RSV, among others.
How many sites does the surveillance system currently monitor?
The National Wastewater Surveillance System currently monitors more than 1,000 sites across the United States.
How might the loss of early detection capabilities change the way your local community responds to emerging health threats?