On December 9, 2024, Finland reported the detection of the virus polio in wastewaterThis discovery adds to recent detections in Spain, Poland, Germany and the United Kingdom between September and November of this year.
The first detection occurred on September 22nd. Barcelona in a water sample taken at the Besòs treatment plant, According to information provided by the Public Health Agency of Catalonia.
Despite these detections, no human cases have been recorded, and the EU/EEA remains a polio-free region.
Genetic analysis suggests two possible explanations for these poliovirus detections:
- Multiple introductions of the virus from regions where it is circulating.
- A single introduction followed by community spread in the EU/EEA.
While these findings are being investigated, maintaining high vaccination coverage is essential to prevent reintroduction of poliovirus and its sustained transmission.
Importance of vaccination
Protecting children through timely vaccination is essential. Childhood vaccination programmes in the EU/EEA include inactivated polio vaccine. Authorities should strengthen the uptake of these vaccines in populations with low coverage rates.
In addition, countries are encouraged to review their vaccination coverage data, including at subnational level, to identify potential immunity gaps. This will ensure that the population is adequately protected.
Strengthening polio surveillance
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) stresses the need to maintain efficient surveillance systems. Suggested measures include surveillance for acute flaccid paralysis and environmental surveillance to identify the circulation of the virus.
Public health authorities should continuously monitor vaccination rates and create reporting systems that identify unvaccinated or partially vaccinated individuals.
Coordination and constant updates
The ECDC continues to monitor the situation both in the EU/EEA and globally and publishes monthly updates in its communicable disease threat reports.
It also maintains a dashboard on countries where polio remains endemic or where there are outbreaks of vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV).
What is poliomyelitis?
Poliomyelitis, also known as polio or infantile paralysis, is an infectious viral disease that primarily affects children.
Large-scale vaccination programmes have successfully eliminated wild polio from most areas of the world, and efforts are underway to stop polio transmission that still occurs in a few remaining countries.
