Highly contagious poliovirus found in Gaza sewage samples

By Liam On Jul 19, 2024

Poliovirus has been detected in sewage samples from Gaza, putting thousands of people living in overcrowded refugee camps at risk of contracting the highly contagious disease that can cause disfigurement and paralysis.

The Gaza ministry said tests conducted with the UN children’s agency Unicef ”showed the presence of poliovirus” in the area, which has been subjected to a devastating Israeli military offensive since the October 7 Hamas attacks.

Israel’s Health Ministry said poliovirus type 2 was found in Gaza sewage samples tested at an Israeli laboratory. It said the World Health Organization had made similar findings.

“The presence of poliovirus in the wastewater that collects and flows between the tents of the refugee camps and in populated areas as a result of the destruction of infrastructure marks a new health disaster,” the Gaza ministry said.

It highlighted “severe overcrowding” and “scarce water” that is becoming contaminated with sewage and the accumulation of waste. The ministry said Israel’s refusal to allow hygiene products into Gaza “creates a suitable environment for the spread of various diseases.”

“The detection of poliovirus in wastewater is a real health disaster and puts thousands of people at risk of contracting polio.”

UN agencies have been campaigning for the eradication of polio for 40 years. The disease is usually spread through sewage and contaminated water. However, in recent years there has been a resurgence in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and isolated cases in Nigeria.

The ministry called for a halt to the Israeli offensive so that clean drinking water can be supplied and sewage treatment can be resumed.

Authorities in the central Gaza city of Deir el-Balah said this week that wastewater treatment plants were closed due to a lack of fuel. They warned that roads would be “flooded with sewage” and that 700,000 civilians, most of them displaced, were at risk of contracting sewage-borne diseases.

Israel’s Health Ministry said the samples “raise concerns about the presence of the virus in this region,” adding that Israeli health authorities are “monitoring and evaluating the necessary steps to prevent the risk of disease in Israel.”