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Polio Virus Found in Ghaziabad Sewage
13 Jun
Summary
- Polio virus detected in Ghaziabad sewage sample on June 5th.
- Extensive door-to-door survey covers 30,000 households.
- India declared polio-free by WHO in 2014.
Authorities in Ghaziabad are conducting an extensive survey of approximately 30,000 households across 12 localities following the detection of a vaccine-derived polio virus (VDPV) in a sewage sample on June 5th. This initiative involves surveying over 5,400 homes and 2,500 children under five, with two localities already completely covered.
The detected VDPV strain, found in a sample from the Vijay Nagar sewage pumping station, is considered largely non-virulent and contained. Health officials noted similar past instances in Varanasi and Meghalaya, emphasizing routine sample collection and testing. Polio, a highly infectious disease that can cause paralysis and death, is preventable through vaccination.
India achieved a significant milestone by being declared polio-free by the WHO in 2014. The country continues to employ acute flaccid paralysis and environmental surveillance, including regular sewage sample testing, to monitor for polio virus presence. Vaccine-derived polio viruses are exceptionally rare and can emerge in areas with low population immunity.
