Principal Investigators: Prof. Sikhulile Moyo and Dr Shahin Lockman

Study Objectives: To evaluate the feasibility of testing wastewater from both urban and village settings in Botswana for;

1. Key infectious disease pathogens that are involved in outbreaks,
2. Important emerging or zoonotic pathogens,
3. Several clinically important bacterial antimicrobial resistance genes and
4. Compare targeted PCR and cutting-edge metagenomics methods.

Study Design:

The Motsepe Wastewater Project (MWP) is a pilot collaborative wastewater surveillance study of multiple priority pathogens and AMR in urban/rural Botswana. It aims to collect and analyse sewage from in the cities of Gaborone, Francistown, Central and Maun; and raw waste from pit latrines/septic tanks from District Health Management Team in Okavango/North, Central, and Southeast districts of Botswana.

The study employs conventional and advanced methods like RT-PCR and metagenomic sequencing to identify these pathogens, including emerging/re-emerging ones like; Monkeypox, Zika virus, Ebola; along with common infections such as; Malaria, Tuberculosis and SARS-CoV-2. 

The study seeks to investigate enteric pathogens related to recent diarrheal outbreaks in Botswana, such as Rotavirus, Cholera, and Hepatitis A.

Moreover, targeting specific antimicrobial drug resistance genes like oqxA, ermB, sul1, mexE, and mecA for testing. This comprehensive approach aims to understand the prevalence and potential risks associated with these pathogens and drug resistance in the studied areas of Botswana.

Study Population and Size: The study uses non-human subjects, aims to collect 2000 wastewater samples.

Study Duration: 2 Years

Sponsor: Motsepe Foundation