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The World Health Organisation (WHO) and British health authorities said that a type of polio virus has been detected in London sewage samples, in a statement on Wednesday, 22 June.
In a report, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said, "Multiple sewage samples collected from the London Beckton Sewage Treatment Works between February and June 2022 show isolated strains of the virus."
This particular plant covers a large part of north and east London, and is home to about four million people.
These findings are concerning because prior to this one, when strains of the polio virus had been found, they were unrelated.
In this case, the health authorities warned that the strains were genetically related.
There are two forms of Polio Vaccine, OPV and IPV.
OPV which is the Oral Polio Vaccine, uses a form of weakened but live polio virus that can replicate in the gut and be passed to others through faecal-contaminated water, putting their neighbors in danger of the infection.
UK had stopped using this vaccine and switched to Inactive Polio Virus (IPV).
Thus, it is suspected that some family who has just shifted to the UK might have received the OPV and is now 'shedding' virus strains.
Dr Vanessa Saliba, Consultant Epidemiologist at UKHSA, was found saying, 'Vaccine-derived poliovirus is rare and the risk to the public overall is extremely low.'
The last case of wild polio contracted in the UK was confirmed in 1984. The UK was declared polio-free in 2003.
The majority of London demonstrates an immunization coverage of 86.6%. Regardless, healthcare professionals have been alerted to these findings so they can promptly investigate and report anyone presenting with symptoms that could be polio, such as paralysis.
Further analysis is underway to check for community transmission of the virus.
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