Gaza's Ministry of Health announced on Friday that a deadly virus, component poliovirus type 2, was discovered by local scientists in Deir al-Balah's wastewater. Deir al-Balah is one of the largest cities in Gaza. In the aftermath of Israel's war against Gaza, more than 700,000 Palestinians are seeking shelter in the beleaguered region. Now the virus threatens to unleash a public health crisis on top of the existing strain from famine and other diseases.
The virus' presence is a "ticking time bomb," pediatric intensive care physician Dr. Tanya Haj-Hassan told Al Jazeera. “Normally if you have a case of polio, you’re going to isolate them, you’re going to make sure that they use a bathroom that nobody else uses, make sure that they’re not in close proximity to other people, [but] that’s impossible" as the region struggles under a military assault, Taj-Hassan explained.
