The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has seen its Traveler-Based Genomic Surveillance (TGS) program surpass one million voluntary participants, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services agency announced on Friday.
The figure marks a significant milestone in the nation's ability to detect and respond to emerging public health threats at our borders, according to the CDC.
First launched in 2021, the program includes voluntary and anonymous sample collection from arriving international travelers at select U.S. airports, providing experts with early insight into emerging pathogens and variants before they spread broadly within the U.S.
The CDC examines nasal samples from anonymous participants and has also analyzed more than 2,600 airplane wastewater samples as part of its broader biosurveillance efforts, the agency said.
TGS is credited with reporting "the first two detections of influenza H3N2 subclade K to public repositories seven days before the next publicly reported sequence."
"The United States is the world's leading authority in public health. The broad participation of travelers enhances our ability to safeguard the nation using tools that are developed, operated, and governed here at home without reliance on unaccountable global bureaucracies," HHS Deputy Secretary and Acting CDC Director Jim O'Neill said in a statement.
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