Polio: National incident declared after virus detected in London sewage samples

A national incident has been declared after poliovirus was detected in wastewater in London, with health officials racing to determine the scale of a feared outbreak.

The virus, which can cause paralysis in rare cases, was identified in sewage samples taken from the capital between February and May 2022, according to the UK Health Security Agency.

No suspected polio cases have been reported or confirmed so far.

The UKHSA is now “urgently” investigating whether wider transmission of the infection, which can spread without symptoms in low-vaccinated communities, is occurring in the capital.

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