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LONDON – The UK has declared a rare “national incident” after traces of the highly contagious poliovirus were found in London’s wastewater, the government said.
Britain, like many developed nations, has been largely free of polio since the 1980s due to the high vaccination rate. No cases have been reported so far.
However, his health safety agency and medical regulator said in a statement on Wednesday that authorities had found traces of poliovirus in wastewater samples collected at London’s Beckton wastewater treatment works, such as part of “routine surveillance.” The treatment plant covers a population close to 4 million inhabitants in the north and east of the capital.
“Investigations are underway after several closely related viruses were found in wastewater samples taken between February and May,” the statement says.
The detection suggests it is likely that “there has been some spread among individuals closely linked to north and east London and they are now removing the type 2 poliovirus strain in their feces,” the statement said.
The poliovirus derived from the type 2 vaccine, unlike the wild or natural strain, is a weakened form of the live virus that is used in oral polio vaccines. Many countries, including the United Kingdom and the United States, have stopped using the oral vaccine because it can be spread to unvaccinated people. But it is still common in nations like Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria.
The vaccine-derived poliovirus detected in the UK “can rarely cause serious illnesses, such as paralysis, in people who are not fully vaccinated,” British health authorities said.
To date, poliovirus has only been detected in wastewater samples, but research is being done to determine if any community transmission is occurring.
Like other nations, Britain is also struggling with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and monkeypox cases.
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The UK was declared free of polio by the World Health Organization in 2003 and the last case of wild or natural polio contracted was in 1984, according to the government.
“Vaccine-derived poliovirus is rare and the risk to the general public is extremely low,” Vanessa Saliba, a consultant epidemiologist with the UK Health Safety Agency, said in a statement.
“We are urgently investigating to better understand the scope of this transmission and the NHS has been asked to report any suspicious cases quickly,” he said, adding that “so far no cases have been reported or confirmed. “.
Poliomyelitis, or poliomyelitis, is a paralyzing and life-threatening infectious disease that invades the nervous system and spreads primarily through fecal contamination.
There is no cure, but vaccinations since the 1960s, especially during childhood, have been a game changer that has allowed many countries to eradicate wild polio. The UK maintains vaccine coverage of more than 95 per cent, the government said, largely through a routine childhood immunization program.
Surveillance, vaccination and investment for #EndPolio 🌍 is key, as the UK’s announcement of #poliomyelitis environmental samples identified in London’s wastewater reminds us. No children have been infected so far. @WHO is supporting 🇬🇧 and his partners.https: //t.co/97zNVNUiBg
– Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) June 22, 2022
The UK health safety agency says it typically detects between one and three “poliovirus isolates per year” in wastewater, but they are usually unique and unrelated to each other. “In this case, the isolates identified between February and June 2022 are genetically related. This has led to the need to investigate the extent of transmission,” he added.
The most likely scenario is that a newly vaccinated person entered the UK from a country where an oral polio vaccine was used. The UK stopped these oral vaccines in 2004, authorities said.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus tweeted that “surveillance, vaccination and investment in #EndPolio are key,” following the news of the UK announcement.
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The Global Polio Eradication Initiative, which works to eradicate all wild and vaccine-related cases of the virus, said that although it has been largely eradicated, the disease remains endemic in Afghanistan. and Pakistan.
“It is important that all countries, particularly those with a high volume of travel and contact with countries and areas affected by polio, step up surveillance to quickly detect any new virus imports and facilitate a rapid response,” the group said. to a statement.
Meanwhile, health officials in London are urging parents to ensure that young children are fully vaccinated to prevent any outbreaks. The National Health Service will begin contacting parents of children under 5 in the capital who are not up to date with their vaccines, the government said.