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Polio Resurgence Hits UK
Experts warn that an outbreak of the poliovirus has been identified in London. This is the first time the virus has been detected in the UK in nearly 40 years.
Although no direct cases have been reported, scientists discovered the outbreak through an indirect route. Multiple versions of the poliovirus have been found in sewage water in London.
Polio has previously been considered to be eliminated in most first-world countries.
In an official press release published on Wednesday 22nd June, the U.K. Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said: “The UKHSA, working with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), has found poliovirus in sewage samples collected from the London Beckton Sewage Treatment Works.
Closely-related viruses were first found in sewage samples taken between February and May of this year. Investigations have shown that “the virus has continued to evolve and is now classified as a ‘vaccine-derived’ poliovirus type 2 (VDPV2), which on rare occasions can cause serious illness, such as paralysis, in people who are not fully vaccinated.”
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Thanks to childhood immunisations, polio has previously been considered to be eliminated in most first-world countries. Polio is a highly transmissible disease that can cause paralysis. The poliovirus is composed of an RNA genome and a protein capsid and spreads through person-to-person contact.
Experts believe that the resurgence has been caused by faecal transmission into sewage wastewater. Virus-shedding from someone recently vaccinated can spread to those who are unvaccinated.
Whilst the public risk is considered low, health officials encourage people to make sure they are up-to-date on their polio vaccinations.
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