Mayor reassures Londoners over polio alert

MAYOR of London Sadiq Khan has said he is “not too worried” about health authorities finding polio in London’s sewage network, after UK health authorities launched an urgent investigation into a potential outbreak last week.

Mr Khan told journalists at a City event on Monday (June 27): “I spoke to my health adviser this morning. There’s no complacency, but we’re not too worried about what’s been found on the sewage. We’ve not had a polio case identified in London.”

The scare came after multiple traces of the virus were found in waste water between February and May.

But the mayor said those who carried the virus “may have just taken [an] oral polio vaccine” He did however call for Londoners to check if their children had their full set of polio vaccines, adding: “It’s been wiped out, and we don’t want it to come back.”

The UK Heath Security Agency (UKHSA) found poliovirus in sewage samples collected from Beckton Sewage Treatment Works, and has urged the public to ensure their polio vaccines are up to date, especially parents of young children who may have missed an immunisation opportunity.

No associated cases of paralytic polio have been detected to date and the risk to the public has been assessed as low.

But the virus can in rare cases lead to paralysis in the spinal cord and brainstem among unvaccinated people, meaning the matter is being taken extremely seriously. The evolved polio virus - known as VDPV2 - is believed to have spread between closely linked individuals in North East London, with the carriers now shedding the type 2 poliovirus strain in their faeces.

The virus has only been detected in sewage samples and no associated cases of paralysis have been reported, but investigations will aim to establish if it is being spread in the wider community.

The last case of wild polio contracted in the UK was confirmed in 1984 and the UK was declared polio-free in 2003.

Last week, Dr Vanessa Saliba, Consultant Epidemiologist at UKHSA said: “Vaccine-derived poliovirus is rare and the risk to the public overall is extremely low [but] vaccine-derived poliovirus has the potential to spread, particularly in communities where vaccine uptake is lower.

“On rare occasions it can cause paralysis in people who are not fully vaccinated so if you or your child are not up to date with your polio vaccinations it’s important you contact your GP to catch up or if unsure check your red book.

“Most of the UK population will be protected from vaccination in childhood, but in some communities with low vaccine coverage, individuals may remain at risk. We are urgently investigating to better understand the extent of this transmission and the NHS has been asked to swiftly report any suspected cases to the UKHSA, though no cases have been reported or confirmed so far.”

Jane Clegg, Chief Nurse for the NHS in London, added: “The majority of Londoners are fully protected against polio and won’t need to take any further action, but the NHS will begin reaching out to parents of children aged under five in London who are not up to date with their polio vaccinations to invite them to get protected.

“Meanwhile, parents can also check their child’s vaccination status in their red book and people should contact their GP practice to book a vaccination should they or their child not be fully up to date.”

Wastewater monitoring is being expanded to assess the extent of transmission and identify local areas for targeted action. Healthcare professionals have been alerted to the findings so they can promptly investigate and report anyone presenting with symptoms that could be polio, such as paralysis.

The London Beckton Sewage Works is a sewage treatment plant covering a large catchment area across North and East London with a population close to 4million.

The testing was conducted by the WHO Global Specialised Polio Laboratory located at the National Institute for Biological Standards and Control (NIBSC) which is part of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). The centre conducts routine environmental surveillance for wild type and vaccine-like polioviruses as part of the UK’s commitment to the WHO global polio eradication programme.