Sewers across Nottingham are going to be checked to see whether poliovirus detected in London has spread across the country. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) says polio was found in sewage samples collected from the London Beckton Sewage Treatment Works.
As a precaution, the agency is now expanding surveillance to see whether polio has spread to other areas. Nottingham is one of the areas that has been chosen for extra surveillance, with the UKHSA saying that factors including low polio vaccine coverage were used to decide which areas should be searched.
Population groups living in an area with links to overseas countries where wild polio is still found was another one of the factors which led the UKHSA to choose Nottingham. Dr Vanessa Saliba, a consultant epidemiologist at the UKHSA, said: "No cases of polio have been reported and for the majority of the population, who are fully vaccinated, the risk is low.
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"We are now expanding the sewage sampling nationally to areas that are at highest risk of new poliovirus importations and areas most likely to see spread of poliovirus from London. We are in touch with public health colleagues in these areas and will work closely with local areas as the need arises."
Other areas included in the expanded surveillance programme include Sheffield, Newcastle, Watford, Manchester and Leeds. The Government says that the sewage sampling strategy will continue to be "reviewed and adapted" as new evidence emerges.
Dr Saliba added: "It is vital parents across the country check their children are fully vaccinated for their age. It will ensure a high level of protection from paralysis. This may also help stop the virus spreading further."
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