Wild form of polio found in Germany, dangerous virus found in Hamburg; threat to these people

News Topical, Digital Desk : Globally, efforts to eradicate polio have been underway on a war footing. Countries have put their all into eradicating it. However, complete success has not yet been achieved, although some areas have achieved considerable success. Meanwhile, wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) has been detected in a wastewater sample in Hamburg, Germany.

In fact, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), an agency of the European Union, said in a statement that Germany has reported the detection of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) in a wastewater sample in Hamburg.

Efforts to eradicate polio

Earlier reports had emerged that vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) was being found in wastewater samples from several locations in Germany since the end of 2024, a blow at a time when countries are striving to eliminate the virus.

danger to these people

The detection of cVDPV2 and WPV1 is not related to each other, but both polioviruses can cause polio in people who are unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated. "Wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) has been detected in a sewage sample in Germany," the Robert Koch Institute said in a statement. However, it is a matter of relief that no human infection has been confirmed so far.

Unusual virus detection

The detection of WPV1 in wastewater samples in Germany is unusual, but not unexpected. The statement said that the risk to the European population from the detection of WPV1 in wastewater in Germany is considered very low, as vaccination rates are generally very high across the region. The genome sequence of WPV1 revealed a strong similarity to a genetic cluster from Afghanistan.

WPV1 is currently circulating only in Afghanistan and Pakistan, but in recent years it has been detected outside these two countries. Cases were found in environmental samples in Iran (2019), and in Malawi (2021) and Mozambique (2022).

Vaccination coverage over 90%

All EU/EEA countries have polio vaccination programs and all use inactivated polio vaccine (IPV). Vaccination coverage in most EU/EEA countries is over 90%. Since polio has not been eradicated globally, the risk of resurgence of the virus in Europe remains as long as there are people who are not fully vaccinated. Therefore, vaccination is essential to protect people from polio.

Following the earlier detection of poliovirus in wastewater, the ECDC has made recommendations to public health authorities: Ensure the timely administration of polio-containing vaccines included in routine immunization programmes in all EU/EEA countries, particularly for young children, in order to maintain at least 90% coverage at all levels of society.

According to a statement from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, the ECDC will continue to work closely with national and international partners to monitor the situation, provide guidance, and support efforts to maintain high vaccination levels. 

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