CDC adding flu, RSV surveillance at major US airports
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced Monday it will be expanding its respiratory viral surveillance of international travelers.
In 2022, the CDC launched its Traveler-based Genomic Surveillance program (TGS), a public-private partnership to serve as an early-warning detection system at U.S. airports for COVID-19 variants. The voluntary program involves taking nasal samples from international travelers coming into the U.S., with select positive samples being sent to the CDC.
The program is a partnership with Ginkgo Bioworks and XpresCheck.
The agency will expand these efforts by testing for more than 30 other additional pathogens, including respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and the flu. This pilot program will launch at four U.S. airports: Kennedy International Airport, San Francisco Airport, Logan International Airport and Dulles Airport.
