OSWEGO, N.Y. (WSYR-TV)-- The New York State Department of Health has issued an alert after traces of the measles virus were detected in wastewater from a treatment plant serving Oswego and nearby areas.

Wastewater surveillance is being used as an early warning system to detect viral infections, including measles, before symptoms appear in the population. This method can identify viruses even when individuals are asymptomatic, as traces of the virus show up in sewage.

"We do wastewater testing for a number of different things; measles is one of them, Covid, and other different viral infections as well," said Dr. Jim McDonald, commissioner of the New York State Department of Health. "When you think about why we do wastewater testing for measles, though, it's an early warning system."

In O

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