Poliovirus found in wastewater in Spain, Germany, and Poland

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^{Published in Science and Technology on Sunday, December 15th 2024 at 4:22 GMT by The Hindu}

In 1988, the World Health Organization (WHO) called for the global eradication of polio. Within a decade, one of the three poliovirus strains was already virtually eradicated
meaning a permanent reduction of the disease to zero new cases worldwide ...

The article from The Hindu discusses the detection of poliovirus in wastewater samples from Spain, Germany, and Poland. This finding has raised concerns about the potential spread of the virus in Europe, especially since the virus detected is genetically linked to the strain circulating in Israel. The poliovirus found is a vaccine-derived poliovirus type 3 (VDPV3), which can occur when the live attenuated virus used in the oral polio vaccine (OPV) circulates in under-immunized populations, mutates, and regains its ability to cause disease. Although no cases of paralysis have been reported in these countries, the presence of the virus in wastewater indicates community transmission. Health authorities are urging for increased vaccination efforts to prevent outbreaks, highlighting the importance of maintaining high vaccination coverage to achieve and sustain polio eradication.

Read the Full The Hindu Article at:
[ https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/poliovirus-found-in-wastewater-in-spain-germany-and-poland/article68988040.ece ]