UK On Polio Alert: What You Need To Know About The Disease

Poliovirus is transmitted by respiratory droplets, but it can also be caught from food or water thats been in contact with the faeces of someone who has the virus.

Just as we thought that monkeypox would be the new virus scare for 2022, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) declared a national incident of repeated poliovirus detection in sewage in north and east London. Repeated positive readings for polio suggest that there is an ongoing infection and likely transmission in the area. This is unexpected since the UK had been declared polio-free since 2003. Here's what you need to know.

Poliomyelitis (polio) is a devastating disease that historically has caused paralysis and death around the world. It is caused by polioviruses, small RNA viruses that can damage cells in the nervous system.

It is not found in animals, so, like smallpox, it can be eradicated. And thanks to effective vaccination campaigns, we have been getting closer to this goal every year.

There are three types of poliovirus, and infection or immunisation by one type does not protect against another. Type 1 poliovirus has continued to cause outbreaks, but transmission by types 2 and 3 have been successfully interrupted by vaccination.