Wits Researcher Fiona Els Turns Aircraft Wastewater Into an Early Detector For Disease Outbreaks

• Wits researcher Fiona Els developed a method of collecting wastewater from planes and airport terminals to track dangerous pathogens
• The system works as an early warning tool, picking up diseases before routine health surveillance systems flag them
• South Africans online praised the innovation, calling it a smart way to detect outbreaks and trace contacts with infected people

A Wits University researcher has found an unexpected use for aircraft wastewater, turning it into a powerful early warning system for infectious disease outbreaks.

Fiona Els, a researcher at the University of the Witwatersrand, collects wastewater from aircraft and airport terminals to screen for pathogens. The method allows her team to identify disease threats before they are picked up through conventional surveillance channels.

The approach builds on a concept that gained global attention during the COVID-19 pandemic, when scientists began using municipal wastewater to monitor virus spread across communities. Els has adapted that logic to aviation, one of the fastest routes through which infectious diseases can travel across borders.

Read also

Cape Town man visits Spaza Shops at night, questions foreign owners on SA employment

"Wits researcher Fiona Els is using wastewater collected from aircraft and airport terminals to detect pathogens before they are picked up through routine disease surveillance."

How aircraft wastewater becomes a disease detector

Airports and aircraft serve as transit hubs where passengers from dozens of countries pass through within hours of each other. By analysing the wastewater generated in those spaces, Els and her team can detect traces of pathogens shed by travellers, potentially identifying an outbreak before a single clinical case is officially reported.

The research positions South Africa's airport infrastructure as a frontline tool in global health preparedness, rather than simply a point of entry for travellers. Wits shared the story on its official Facebook page on 30 August 2026, where it quickly drew attention from South Africans impressed by the innovation.

View the Facebook post below:

Mzansi reacts to the breakthrough research

South Africans in the comments had plenty to say about Els's work on the page:

@A Ntulî Art wrote:

"To detect outbreaks and possible contacts with infected people 🦠🧐"

Read also

SIU uncovers Visa fraud syndicate operating across South African universities, Mzansi demands action

@Jenny Hall said:

"Easy fix ignored by Wits. Hygiene before vaccines. Bicarbonate of soda kills inhaled and ingested allergens and infections. Vaxx and hand hygiene inadequate. Our first immune system is a chemical reaction in mucus, not in blood, nor in live tissue."

More Briefly News stories on Wits

• A Wits scholar is heading to MIT and Harvard to advance diabetes research, earning praise from South Africans for her academic achievement.
• A Wits study found that people taking an HIV treatment containing doravirine gained less weight than those taking dolutegravir, highlighting a potential difference between the two regimens.
• Wits Basotho Society students hosted a Kobo Day celebration showcasing traditional Basotho blankets, with the cultural display leaving many South Africans curious.

Source: Briefly News