- WATCHFIRE™ Solution multiplex PCR test optimizes wastewater surveillance to proactively manage potential public health risks with real-time, on-site data with analytics, all within about an hour.
- The solution identifies bacterial, viral, and parasitic pathogens in wastewater samples that may cause respiratory and gastrointestinal illnesses.
Salt Lake City, Utah, July 6, 2026 – bioMérieux, a world leader in the field of in vitro diagnostics, announces that the WATCHFIRE™ Solution multiplex PCR test for wastewater monitoring is now available through BioFire Defense, a bioMérieux affiliate company. WATCHFIRE™ offers two panel tests that screen for more than 40 pathogens that cause respiratory and gastrointestinal illnesses with easy near-source testing offering multiple PCR results in about an hour.
“Tracking results and deploying rapid responses are fundamental to protecting against biothreats and emerging infectious diseases,” said John Harris, CEO of BioFire Defense. “WATCHFIRE™ delivers the actionable intelligence public health officials require to anticipate needs and strengthen readiness on a daily basis or during major events like international soccer tournaments.”
Historically, municipalities used wastewater and environmental surveillance to estimate ongoing population health status by measuring the quantities of pathogens. It can also be used during mass-gathering events and at healthcare facilities as a key tool to inform public health authorities about potential disease outbreaks and monitor trends over time.
WATCHFIRE™ includes two separate panels, the WATCHFIRE™ RESPIRATORY PANEL, which tests for respiratory tract infections including SARS-CoV-2, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) and Influenza. And the WATCHFIRE™ GASTROINTESTINAL PANEL, which tests for E. coli, Salmonella, Norovirus, and parasites including Giardia lamblia. These panels can be run on the benchtop BIOFIRE® FILMARRAY® TORCH system and data is aggregated on the cloud-based FIREWORKS™ platform.
“This year’s flu season in France was especially challenging with high rates of influenza occurring alongside other seasonal viruses including COVID-19 and RSV each circulating at the same time. With our on-site monitoring of our wastewater with the WATCHFIRE™ Solution, we were able to directly determine a potential flu outbreak based on trending wastewater test results,” stated Dr. Sylvain Diamantis, Department of Infectious Diseases, Centre Hospitalier de Melun-Sénart.
For customers based in the United States, WATCHFIRE™ and complimentary equipment can be purchased directly through BioFire Defense. For customers in the rest of the world, the solution can be purchased directly through bioMérieux.