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CAMBRIDGE Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — The company that monitors Boston-area wastewater for the coronavirus said it is expanding its monitoring to detect norovirus.
Cambridge-based Biobot Analytics said in a press release that the company is providing communities with information and data about Covid-19 levels helping them respond quickly to outbreaks.
CEO of Biobot Analytics Mariana Matus said in the release that expanding its tracking methods to detect norovirus can help control its spread.
"Norovirus rates continue to be at a yearly high across the country,” she said. "By monitoring wastewater for norovirus, we can begin to provide important information about disease levels and trends so that communities can make informed public health decisions."
With more than 20 million illnesses every year, Biobot said norovirus is the leading cause of foodborne illness in the United States.
Biobot also said norovirus costs the economy about $2 billion annually in lost productivity and healthcare expenses.
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