Shanghai Builds a Multi-domain Monitoring Network for Epidemic Prevention And Health Risk

Local health officials said Shanghai has a multi-domain surveillance network for infectious disease prevention, epidemic management, and health risk control for humans, animals, and the environment.

All 354 fever clinics and 227 enteric disease clinics in the city follow local infectious disease management guidelines and collect complete data.

The Shanghai Center for Disease Control and Prevention announced on Friday that the city has implemented a dual monitoring system in community and hospital settings to detect infectious disease risks earlier and more accurately.

"By leveraging big data and artificial intelligence, we have created several early-warning models that can forecast trends and medical resource needs for epidemics like COVID-19 and influenza up to two weeks ahead," said Wu Huanyu, deputy director of the Shanghai CDC.

The tool was utilized to evaluate the seasonal flu accurately during the winter of 2025 and spring of 2026, which facilitated effective vaccine distribution and the preparation of personnel and equipment.

"Meteorological and infectious disease data are integrated to provide infectious disease risk forecasts using weather big data. The WHO has recognized this initiative as an urban management model," Wu said. "In the near future, we will introduce cooling-related data on the risk of cold to help residents."

The city has also innovatively integrated Internet of Things (IoT) and geolocation technologies to enhance pathogen and infected sample surveillance.

"Within 48 hours, we can identify the location of unknown pathogens, and within 24 hours, we can accurately trace the sources of up to 30 samples, providing critical support for epidemic assessment and risk evaluation," Wu explained.

He added that the system is also accessible to educational institutions, research bodies, and pharmaceutical companies, offering strong support for the development of vaccines and diagnostic reagents.

A monitoring system for drug-resistance genes has been deployed with probes in the local drainage network to track the distribution and spread of drug-resistant bacteria, helping to guide clinical medication use.

Meanwhile, an airborne microorganism monitoring platform is now tracking fungi and viruses in metro stations and conference centers, providing biological air safety assessments for major events.

"Under a major urban health risk factor surveillance and control project, we have refined the monitoring network, continued to develop new models, built data platforms, and strengthened rapid response capabilities," Wu said.

He also noted that 85 pesticides can be tested, and over 20,000 restaurants, drink outlets, and supermarkets have adopted the country's first beverage nutrition grading system to help consumers choose healthier beverages.