No polio cases have been detected among people in the UK, where the serious disease was eradicated in 2003.
The WHO says in a statement that type 2 vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV2) has been found in environmental samples in the British capital.
– It is important to emphasize that the virus has been detected in only environmental samples, the statement says. No cases of paralysis have been detected in connection with the findings.
Nevertheless, the WHO warns, “any type of poliovirus anywhere is a threat to children everywhere.”
British authorities assume that the virus came from someone who received the so-called live polio vaccine, ie that the vaccine contains live viruses or bacteria that have been weakened, somewhere abroad. Then, it is believed, the person infected someone in London, who then excreted the virus through feces.
The United Kingdom stopped the live vaccine in 2004 and switched to an inactivated vaccine, which contains viruses that are grown and then inactivated. Polio, which primarily affects children under the age of five, can cause paralysis and in rare cases be life-threatening.
The authorities emphasize that the risk is “extremely low” for the population, but encourage people to check whether their children are fully vaccinated, and to contact a doctor if they are unsure.
(©NTB)
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