HOUSTON – Officials say results from a program that's testing Houston's wastewater to monitor the local spread of the coronavirus have shown that it could be a faster way of detecting outbreaks in the nation's fourth-largest city.

Since May, the city and scientists from Rice University and Baylor College of Medicine have tested wastewater from the city's 39 treatment plants.

Studies indicate genetic material from the virus can be recovered from the stools of about half of patients with the virus.

Houston is one of various cities and communities around the world that have implemented such wastewater testing programs.