[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] The poliovirus was detected in the sewers of London, UK, prompting local health authorities to initiate vaccination for children under the age of 10.
On the 10th (local time), according to the Associated Press and others, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) announced that the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) will carry out poliovirus vaccinations targeting children aged 1 to 9. Vaccinations will begin in areas where vaccination rates are low and the poliovirus has been detected. Health authorities recommended vaccinating children under 10 years old with the poliovirus vaccine within 4 to 6 weeks to suppress the spread of the virus.
The virus was found in 19 sewage samples collected from northeastern and central boroughs of London. UKHSA reported that 116 poliovirus samples were identified in the sewage. This marks the first detection of poliovirus in the UK in 40 years, since 1984. So far, no related cases have been reported.
Health experts believe the detected virus originated from the excrement of oral vaccine recipients. According to The Guardian, the oral poliovirus vaccine uses a live virus to induce an immune response. Because there is a risk that the virus used in the vaccine can be excreted outside the body, vaccines using inactivated viruses have been more widely used recently.
However, UKHSA is also considering the possibility that the virus was introduced from outside and is cooperating with authorities in the United States and Israel to investigate the connection. Kathleen O'Reilly, a poliovirus expert and professor at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, explained, "The poliovirus recently detected in London is genetically related to cases that occurred in the United States and Israel," adding, "This suggests that the virus could potentially lead to future outbreaks."
Poliomyelitis primarily affects children under the age of five and is mainly transmitted through contaminated water. Thanks to vaccine development, developed countries consider poliomyelitis virtually eradicated, but cases are still reported in developing countries such as Afghanistan and Nigeria. Among those infected with poliovirus, one-quarter experience sore throat and headache, and about one in 200 suffer from encephalitis, myelitis, or paralysis symptoms.
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