Poliovirus in European wastewater

Wastewater analyzes have revealed the presence of poliovirus in five European countries. Although no cases of poliomyelitis have been recorded, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) invites European states to continue their surveillance and vaccination efforts.

Between September and December 2024, analyzes of wastewater revealed the presence of poliovirus in samples from Spain, Poland, Germany, the United Kingdom and, more recently, Finland. In this context, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) calls for continued surveillance and maintaining high vaccination coverage. To date, no cases of human poliomyelitis have been recorded in the European Union (EU) or the European Economic Area (EEA). The ECDC indicates, however, that poliovirus samples may come either from different introductions into the EU/EEA, from areas where the virus is still circulating, or from a single introduction which then spread to other countries. The European agency emphasizes the importance of vaccinating children and certain populations whose vaccination coverage rates may be lower than in the general population. Furthermore, ECDC calls on EU/EEA countries to assess their poliovirus vaccination coverage, ensure there are no gaps in it and maintain an effective system to respond quickly to a possible resurgence of the poliovirus. For its part, the ECDC monitors the circulation of the virus at the European level as well as at the global level and produces a monthly newsletter of the situation. A dashboard including data from countries where poliomyelitis is still endemic is also available.

Arthur-Apollinaire Daum