In a bid to strengthen global surveillance of infectious diseases, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is expanding its program to test international travelers for COVID-19 and other respiratory infections. Currently operational at six airports, the program will now include two additional locations - Chicago's O'Hare and Miami.

The expansion aims to gather vital information about respiratory infections originating from South America, Africa, and Asia, where global surveillance may be relatively weaker. "Miami and Chicago enable us to collect samples coming from areas of the world where global surveillance is not as strong as it used to be," said Allison Taylor Walker, a representative of the CDC. The goal is to gain a comprehensive understanding of global health trends and be better prepared for future outbreaks.

Launched in 2021, the program has already proven effective in detecting coronavirus variants at a faster rate compared to other systems. The focus of genomic testing has primarily been on COVID-19, but it also includes testing for two other respiratory viruses - flu and RSV. Although participants are not notified of their results, they are provided with a COVID-19 home test kit to take with them.

So far, the program has received samples from over 475,000 air travelers arriving from more than 135 countries. Additionally, CDC officials have been exploring the sampling of wastewater from international flights as another means of detecting COVID-19, and possibly other pathogens, but this evaluation is still ongoing.

The CDC program, currently budgeted at approximately $37 million, collaborates with two companies, Ginkgo Bioworks and XWell, for sample collection and testing. Moving forward, the program aims to expand its capabilities to check for more than 30 different disease-causing germs.

By broadening their reach and strengthening surveillance efforts, the CDC is taking proactive steps to enhance global health monitoring and preparedness in the face of emerging infectious diseases.