There has been a lot of coverage in the press about Polio being found in sewage in parts of London. Our Medical Director, Dr Paul Zollinger-Read summarises the situation:
What is polio?
The UK was declared Polio free in 2003. There are three forms of Polio, and whilst type 2 and 3 have been eradicated, type 1 continues to circulate in some parts of the world. The Polio virus is transmitted through contact with a person’s saliva or faeces. Polio can cause headaches, fever, vomiting and pain in the limbs. But, in 1 in 200 cases, it leads to a form of paralysis.
Where has polio been detected in 2022?
Live polio virus was detected in Beckton Sewage samples in Feb and May of this year. The virus was a weakened form which is used in some types of vaccination, which have not been used in the UK since 2004.
Public health officials concluded it must have come from an individual who was vaccinated abroad.
How are viruses detected in sewage?
Sewage is regularly checked, and it is not uncommon to detect 1-3 episodes of vaccinate-related virus in sewage in any given year.
However, this was the first time genetically similar samples had been seen, implying that the virus was spreading.
It would therefore appear that the Polio virus is coming from more than one individual
The public health team are also concerned that the virus may mutate over 12-18 months into a form that may be able to cause paralysis.
Who is at risk of contracting polio?
New strains of polio are a risk to unvaccinated individuals in the community. Currently, the level of vaccination of Polio in London for pre-school Polio is around 73%; which one of the lowest levels in England. Fully vaccinated individuals are at no risk of Polio.
And that’s the big risk in all of this. There’s a very slight chance of mutation, and if that were to occur, the unvaccinated are at risk; the solution is to ensure that all who haven’t completed their vaccination course complete it.
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Paul Zollinger-Read CBE
