Health experts in London have reported that a significant number of sewage samples have been detected with the polio virus.
Following the discovery of the extremely dangerous poliovirus in sewage in London, the government of the United Kingdom announced a rare “national incident.”
Due to a high vaccination rate, Britain, like many wealthy countries, has been mostly polio-free since the 1980s. No cases have been documented so far.
According to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), it was likely brought into London by a person who had just returned after receiving a live version of the virus as a vaccination.
The risk is very low, but parents should make sure their kids are adequately immunised against the illness.
What is Polio disease
Polio is a rare disease that can be contracted by touching other people’s food or drink after improperly washing one’s hands, or, in extremely rare circumstances, by coughing and sneezing.
Most people fight off the virus without knowing realising they are infected because they don’t usually show any symptoms. For up to three weeks, a tiny percentage of people will have flu-like symptoms.
The polio virus targets the nerves in the spine and base of the brain in a very small percentage of cases—between one in 100 and one in 1,000, according to estimates.
Usually in the legs, this can paralyse a person. It may be fatal if the respiratory muscles are damaged.
