Environmental air monitoring and early-warning framework for respiratory pathogens in Saudi Arabia

Title : Environmental air monitoring and early-warning framework for respiratory pathogens in Saudi Arabia

Abstract:

Respiratory infectious diseases remain a significant public health challenge, particularly in settings characterized by high population density and mass gatherings. This project aims to establish an environmental air-monitoring system for detecting airborne respiratory pathogens in Saudi Arabia and to develop a national early-warning framework that strengthens preparedness for emerging infectious diseases. The study has three primary objectives: (1) to deploy and evaluate air-sampling technologies capable of capturing airborne viral and bacterial respiratory pathogens; (2) to integrate laboratory diagnostics, including polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and metagenomic sequencing, for pathogen detection and characterization; and (3) to develop predictive analytics models that convert environmental surveillance data into actionable early-warning indicators for public health authorities.

The research design combines field-based environmental sampling, laboratory pathogen detection, and data-driven modeling. Air samplers will be installed at selected pilot sites representing high-risk and high-density environments. Routine air samples will be collected and analyzed to quantify pathogen load, diversity, and temporal patterns. Environmental surveillance outputs will be integrated with epidemiological and meteorological datasets to generate spatiotemporal predictive models capable of forecasting increases in respiratory pathogen circulation. The project will culminate in the design and validation of a prototype national early-warning framework, including data-flow architecture, risk thresholds, and response triggers.

Expected outcomes include a validated environmental monitoring protocol tailored to Saudi Arabia’s climatic conditions, a baseline dataset of airborne respiratory pathogens, predictive models for early outbreak detection, and a scalable national framework for biosurveillance. The project will advance environmental pathogen surveillance, enhance national health security, and support Vision 2030 through resilient, data-driven public health systems, particularly during mass-gathering events such as Hajj and Umrah.

Biography:

Dr. Nada Al Bahrani is a Consultant in Otorhinolaryngology (ENT) and Allergy at King Fahd Hospital of the University and an academic affiliate of Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Saudi Arabia. She is recognized for her clinical and research contributions in rhinology, allergy, and inflammatory diseases of the upper airway. Her work focuses on the diagnosis and management of chronic rhinosinusitis, respiratory allergies. Dr. Al Bahrani has authored and co-authored several peer-reviewed scientific publications investigating the immunopathogenesis of chronic rhinosinusitis and other sinonasal diseases. Her research interests include airway inflammation, environmental determinants of respiratory health, infectious disease surveillance, and innovative approaches to improving patient outcomes through evidence-based medicine. She is committed to advancing clinical practice, medical education, and multidisciplinary research that supports public health preparedness and healthcare innovation in Saudi Arabia.