(Press-News.org) Between September and December 2024, four countries in the EU/EEA (Finland, Germany, Poland, Spain) and the United Kingdom reported detections of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) in sewage samples. This is the first time cVDPV2 has been detected in EU/EEA countries from environmental surveillance.
To date, no human polio cases have been reported and the EU/EEA continues to be polio-free, but such findings call for increased vigilance.
Laboratory analyses likely indicate that the virus has been repeatedly introduced from an unknown area where that specific form of the virus is still in circulation. These recent importations may pose a threat to public health in the EU/EEA and should be monitored closely according to a Rapid Risk Assessment published today by ECDC on this topic.
“Europe has been polio-free for more than 20 years. We have to remain vigilant, maintain high vaccination rates and close any vaccination gaps that exist to prevent any return of this serious disease,” said Pamela Rendi-Wagner, ECDC Director.
Poliovirus is highly infectious and can be transmitted easily and silently across wide geographical areas. Therefore, while the EU/EEA continues to remain polio-free, it is vital to maintain adequate vaccine-induced immunity. Polio is a potentially debilitating disease and no specific therapy is available against the virus. Vaccination is the only effective method of protecting against severe disease caused by poliovirus.
Although the majority of EU/EEA countries report vaccination coverage above 90% at the national level, subnational data reveal a much more heterogeneous picture, with only 39% of reporting districts reaching 90% vaccination coverage, which requires constant assessment of vaccination strategies and vaccination coverage from both national and sub-national perspectives. Additionally, according to ECDC estimates, around 600 000 children aged 12–23 months may not have received a full primary polio vaccination course in 2022 and 2023.
The overall risk among vaccinated populations is assessed to be very low, irrespective of the extent of vaccination coverage. The overall risk among under or unvaccinated populations is assessed to be low in areas with high vaccination coverage and moderate in areas with low vaccination coverage.
If polio cases occur, Member States should activate national poliomyelitis response plan; clinicians, particularly paediatricians, should be made aware regarding the possibility of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) cases caused by poliovirus.
Based on the assessment, ECDC recommends public health authorities reinforce routine childhood vaccination programmes to achieve and maintain at least 90% coverage across all levels of society. It also calls for timely immunisation catch-up campaigns targeting individuals with incomplete or unknown vaccination status, particularly in areas of suboptimal coverage or where environmental sampling has detected the virus.
Additionally, authorities are advised to maintain adequate stocks of inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) and to ensure that all populations with unknown polio vaccination history, receive the vaccine.
Countries are also encouraged to strengthen environmental surveillance to quickly detect any further introductions or circulation of the virus. By improving data collection and surveillance systems, EU/EEA countries can better identify gaps in vaccination, adapt response strategies, and communicate effectively with the public.
Furthermore, public health authorities should develop tailored, context-specific, culturally sensitive interventions to increase vaccination uptake and conduct risk communication activities to highlight the importance of ensuring timely routine vaccination.
ECDC will continue to work closely with national authorities and international partners to monitor the situation, provide guidance, and support efforts to maintain high vaccination levels. Through these collective measures, the EU/EEA aims to prevent poliovirus from returning to communities and safeguard them against an entirely preventable disease.
END
Detections of poliovirus in sewage samples require enhanced routine and catch-up vaccination and increased surveillance, according to ECDC report
2025-01-31
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Scientists unlock ice-repelling secrets of polar bear fur for sustainable anti-freezing solutions
2025-01-31
Polar bear fur’s natural ability to resist ice formation could pave the way for safer, more sustainable solutions to prevent ice buildup across industries such as aviation and renewable energy, according to researchers at the University of Surrey.
An international study published in Science Advances has explored the anti-icing properties of polar bear fur in extreme Arctic conditions, revealing a unique mix of lipids in the fur’s sebum – an oily substance produced by the skin - that drastically reduces ice adhesion. ...
Ear muscle we thought humans didn’t use — except for wiggling our ears — actually activates when people listen hard
2025-01-31
If you can wiggle your ears, you can use muscles that helped our distant ancestors listen closely. These auricular muscles helped change the shape of the pinna, or the shell of the ear, funneling sound to the eardrums. Millions of years ago, our ancestors stopped using them, so humans’ auricular muscles are only vestigial. But now scientists examining the function of these muscles have discovered that they activate when we’re trying to listen to competing sounds.
“There are three large muscles which connect the auricle to the skull and scalp and are important for ear ...
COVID-19 pandemic drove significant rise in patients choosing to leave ERs before medically recommended
2025-01-31
Researchers have long known that patients who leave emergency departments before medically advised use more emergency care services, are more likely to be readmitted to the hospital and face higher costs of care—as well as increased mortality rates.
Until now, however, little has been known about national, multi-year trends, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on this phenomenon.
“In addition, most studies have focused on specific subgroups of patients, such as those with stroke or those with appendicitis who leave after surgery,” said Elena Andreyeva, PhD, a faculty member with the Texas A&M University School of Public ...
Burn grasslands to maintain them: What is good for biodiversity?
2025-01-31
As grasslands get abandoned, controlled burning is discussed as a labor-saving method of keeping forests at bay. A Kobe University research team found that this method results in higher biodiversity and a higher prevalence of endangered plant species in some grasslands compared to others, depending on what soils they grow on.
Humans have been keeping grasslands since millennia by grazing, mowing and controlled burning, all of these are means to keep forests from overgrowing the grasslands. Grazing and mowing are, however, labor intensive and as rural areas become increasingly depopulated, grasslands have been disappearing worldwide. One consequence ...
Ventilation in hospitals could cause viruses to spread further
2025-01-31
Increased use of ventilation and air cleaners, designed to mitigate the spread of viral infections in hospitals, is likely to have unpredictable effects and may cause viral particles to move around more, according to a new study from researchers at UCL and UCLH.
In the study, published in Aerosol Science & Technology, researchers investigated the effect of using built-in mechanical ventilation and portable air cleaners (PACs)1 upon the spread of airborne particles, which are similar to those breathed ...
New study finds high concentrations of plastics in the placentae of infants born prematurely
2025-01-30
UNDER EMBARGO UNTIL: Jan. 30, 2025, 3:30 p.m. MST
Media Contact: Karen Addis, APR, karen@addispr.com, +1 (301) 787-2394
Denver, Colo. ― Microplastics, which are less than 5 millimeters, and nanoplastics, which are invisible to the naked eye, are widespread throughout our environment. Research has shown that exposure to plastics in general is harmful to both the environment and humans.
Now, in a new study to be presented today at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine’s (SMFM) annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting™, researchers will unveil findings that suggest that microplastics and nanoplastics have been found ...
New robotic surgical systems revolutionizing patient care
2025-01-30
SALT LAKE CITY— Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah (the U) proudly announces the addition of two da Vinci 5 robotic surgical systems. This state-of-the-art technology is designed to enhance precision, control, and safety during minimally invasive surgeries, setting a new standard in patient care. These advancements align with Huntsman Cancer Institute’s focus on successfully delivering world-class cancer care through innovative treatments.
“This is a significant leap forward in robotic surgery,” says Brian Mitzman, MD, MS, FACS, FCCP, Huntsman ...
New MSK research a step toward off-the-shelf CAR T cell therapy for cancer
2025-01-30
CAR T cell therapy is one of the most promising new cancer treatments to emerge in recent years. It involves removing a patient’s own immune T cells and engineering them to recognize specific targets on the surface of the cancer cell.
A major limitation of this type of CAR T cell therapy, called autologous therapy, is that the cells are taken from the patient and must be custom-made into a treatment. This requires patients to wait until their cells are modified for infusion — precious time they may not have.
Now research done at Memorial Sloan ...
UTEP professor wins prestigious research award from American Psychological Association
2025-01-30
EL PASO, Texas (Jan. 30, 2025) – Health sciences researcher Emre Umucu, Ph.D., associate professor and associate dean for research at The University of Texas at El Paso, has been awarded the Roger G. Barker Distinguished Research Contribution Award from the American Psychological Association (APA). The award honors research in the field of rehabilitation psychology, which focuses on helping individuals with disabilities and chronic conditions improve their health, independence and social participation.
“I am ...
New national study finds homicide and suicide is the #1 cause of maternal death in the U.S.
2025-01-30
UNDER EMBARGO UNTIL: Jan. 30, 2025, 2:45 p.m. MST
Media Contact: Karen Addis, APR, karen@addispr.com, +1 (301) 787-2394
Denver, Colo. -- In the medical community, research has traditionally focused on how to prevent and treat the leading medical causes of maternal mortality, which include bleeding, infection, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. However, new research reveals deaths by homicide and suicide are the leading causes of maternal death in the United States.
In a study to be presented today at the Society for Maternal-Fetal ...