Poliovirus detected in London sewers, UK officials warn
A strain of poliovirus that can sometimes cause paralysis can occur in London’s sewers and spread to closely related individuals in the northern and eastern parts of London, the UK Health and Security Agency (UKHSA). warning (Opens in a new tab) Wednesday (June 22nd).
UKHSA has begun an investigation to understand the extent of this spread and flag suspicious cases. Typically, virus Authorities advised that it poses a “very low” risk to the general public, which could extend the coverage of patched vaccines to areas.
“In rare cases, if you or your child do not have your latest information, as it can cause paralysis in people who are not completely vaccinated. Polio vaccination In a statement, Dr. Vanessa Saliva, a consultant epidemiologist at UKHSA, a child health record used by the United Kingdom National Health Service (NHS), said, “Contact your family doctor to catch up or check the Red Book if you are unsure. It’s important to do that. ” While some of the UK’s population is protected from vaccination during childhood, individuals may remain at risk in some communities with low vaccination rates. “
Related: This virus can cause a mysterious polio-like illness that paralyzes some children
According to the UKHSA, the World Health Organization declared the eradication of polio in the United Kingdom in 2003. Overall, the risk of polio infection is low in this country due to high vaccination rates, according to UKHSA. However, as the rate of vaccination has declined across the country, especially in some parts of London, health agencies are now asking residents to check the status of their children’s vaccinations.
UKHSA and pharmaceutical medical product regulators regularly monitor poliovirus in sewage samples collected from the Becton Sewage Treatment Facility in London. According to UKHSA, authorities usually detect 1-3 unrelated polioviruses lurking in the sewage system, but these tend to be isolated events associated with individuals vaccinated with live oral polio vaccine. there is.
Oral polio vaccines contain live but weakened poliovirus that can be washed away into the sewers of vaccinated people. World Polio Eradication Initiative (Opens in a new tab) (GPEI). If they remain weak, these poop-bound polioviruses can actually increase the immune levels of poorly sanitized communities by spreading to unvaccinated people. However, in some cases, the virus has evolved to behave like a wild, naturally occurring poliovirus that can cause illness in people who are not completely vaccinated.
Because of this risk, in many countries, Including the United States (Opens in a new tab)GPEI states that all countries will eventually need to stop using oral vaccines in order to use only “inactivated” polio vaccines, not oral vaccines, and to completely eradicate polio.
In London, health officials have detected several closely related polioviruses in sewage samples collected between February and May. Among these, GPEI found vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (VDPV2), the most common type of vaccine-derived poliovirus. According to UKHSA, VDPV2 rarely causes serious illness or paralysis in people who are not completely vaccinated.
The presence of VDPV2 suggests that poliovirus may be spreading among “closely related individuals in northern and eastern London.” So far, the virus has only been detected in sewage and no cases of paralysis have been reported.
“The majority of Londoners are completely protected from polio and need no further action, but the NHS has not obtained the latest information on polio vaccination for parents of children under the age of five in London. Jane Craig, chief nurse of the NHS in London, said in a statement.
Originally published on Live Science.
Poliovirus detected in London sewers, UK officials warn
Source link Poliovirus detected in London sewers, UK officials warn
