Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) awarded the University of Florida a Project Grant of $422,125 under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855) effective February 3, 2026, with a completion date of January 31, 2028. This proof-of-concept study will develop and validate wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) methods using digital polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology to detect Shigella species in community and building-scale wastewater systems. The research addresses a critical public health need, as Shigella-caused shigellosis presents a significant global health concern complicated by antimicrobial resistance and emerging sexually transmitted outbreaks in developed countries. Current case reporting substantially underestimates actual disease prevalence due to mild and asymptomatic infections.

The primary deliverables include development of sensitive, specific, and reproducible WBE detection methods for Shigella species in wastewater, field validation of these methods at community and building scales, and epidemiological data linking detected pathogens to residential populations. The research will provide actionable intelligence to local health departments in the Gainesville, Florida area, enabling targeted public health interventions based on accurate prevalence estimates. This initiative adapts established viral pathogen surveillance methodologies—proven effective for SARS-CoV-2 monitoring—to bacterial pathogen detection, extending the application of wastewater surveillance to bacterial agents of diarrheal disease.