{
  "abstract": "Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) has become a cornerstone of public health surveillance, yet routine regulatory monitoring remains largely focused on respiratory viruses and selecting antimicrobial resistant bacteria. Emerging foodborne parasites, such as Cyclospora cayetanensis, remain excluded from standard environmental surveillance panels despite increasing domestic outbreaks. This study presents a laboratory-based pilot protocol evaluating the feasibility of extracting and quantifying C. cayetanensis from urban wastewater across the Chicago metropolitan area. Using sample concentration via centrifugation and mechanical bead-beating, automated magnetic bead nucleic acid extraction, and digital PCR (dPCR), we demonstrate high-sensitivity detection in municipal influents and sewer nodes. These findings establish a proof-of-concept laboratory methodology to support the expansion of regulatory public health surveillance frameworks to include non-routine protozoan pathogens.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "University of Illinois Chicago"
  ],
  "article_type": "PUBLISHAHEADOFPRINT",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 3,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "C.-Y. Lin"
    },
    {
      "name": "D. S. Gonzalez"
    },
    {
      "name": "R. S. Poretsky"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/bby5b52071t6f.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.64898/2026.10.08.26364996",
  "fulltext_url": "https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.08.26364996v1.full",
  "id": "bby5b52071t6f",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.08.26364996v1",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "medrxiv",
      "public and global health"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "2405|Parasitic Infections and Diagnostics"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7221463693",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.08.26364996v1.full.pdf",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-08",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/bby5b52071t6f.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:20:40Z",
      "native_id": "10.64898/2026.10.08.26364996",
      "source": "medrxiv",
      "url": "https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.08.26364996v1"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "medrxiv:public and global health",
      "subfield": "epidemiology-public-health"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Laboratory Evaluation of Cyclospora cayetanensis in Wastewater: Expanding Pathogen Targets for Regulatory Public Health Surveillance",
  "title_text": "Laboratory Evaluation of Cyclospora cayetanensis in Wastewater: Expanding Pathogen Targets for Regulatory Public Health Surveillance",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:20:40Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/bby5b52071t6f",
  "venue": "medRxiv",
  "versions": []
}