US EditionWild form of polio found in German sewage sample, health institute says
The Robert Koch Institute's detection of wild poliovirus in sewage highlights effective surveillance; no human cases reported and vaccination coverage keeps population risk very low.
- On Wednesday, the Robert Koch Institute said poliovirus type 1 was detected in a Germany sewage sample and WHO said it appeared associated with the virus in Afghanistan.
- RKI reported vaccine-derived detections in recent years, noting wastewater surveillance tracks polio globally while some countries lack active polio tracking.
- RKI said the risk to the German general population is very low, citing high vaccination coverage and isolated detections, while Oliver Rosenbauer noted the finding came more than 30 years after last wild cases.
- Despite reductions, global eradication efforts face challenges as vaccine-derived poliovirus circulates in more countries, stemming from rare mutations of weakened live vaccines used for immunisation.
- Wild polio remains confined to Afghanistan and Pakistan, and the World Health Organization said this is the first wild environmental detection in Europe, highlighting limited geographic persistence.
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44 Articles
The last known transmission in Germany dates back to 1990: In Hamburg wastewater the wild type of poliovirus has been detected. However, the risk to the population is considered low.
German health authorities have been alarmed by the discovery of a wild type of polio pathogen in Hamburg's wastewater. The virus was considered to be eradicated worldwide.
Polio Wild Viruses Proven: Is There a Risk of Infection After the Virus Infection in the Wastewater?
The Hamburg Health Authority has discovered type 1 polio wild viruses in wastewater samples. It is a rare finding because they have not been detected for years. Does the finding have an effect on health? Thus, the authority estimates the risk of infection.
The one found in Hamburg is not the one inactivated by vaccine but the one that can give disease. And it is a wake-up call, although no clinical cases have been reported at the moment.
In Hamburg's waste water, the polio wild virus, the pathogen of polio, was found. It was considered to be eradicated in Germany. Experts say that.
The discovery of wild poliovirus in Hamburg's wastewater alerts the health authorities. Despite a low risk thanks to vaccination, vigilance is still needed.
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