Polio virus lurks in environment

The collection of environmental samples in sites nationwide is part of the DoH’s response to the reemergence of polio cases in the country. #poliovirus

The DoH is spearheading a mass immunization against polio. (DoH)

Authorities have found traces of the two types of polio virus in sewage and water samples collected nationwide making the government’s immunization campaign against the disease timely.

A total 26 out of 142 environmental samples (ES) collected, tested positive for poliovirus types 1 or 2, the National Polio Laboratory (NPL) of the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) and the Japan National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID) announced on Wednesday.

“Out of the 26 positive samples, 25 were collected from the National Capital Region (NCR) and 1 from Davao City from July 1 to November 6, 2019,” the RITM and NIID said in a statement.

The 142 ES were collected from 39 sites in NCR, Cordillera Administrative Region, Region III, Region IV-A, Region XI, Region XII, Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, and Region VII as part of regular surveillance nationwide, according to the two institutions.

The ES are being collected from sewage treatment plants and bodies of water from areas without treatment plants.

“The presence of the poliovirus in environmental samples implies that carriers of the virus are continuously shedding in the communities. If viruses continue to spread from person-to-person in areas with low immunization coverage, the polio virus evolves and regains the ability to cause paralysis,” Department of Health (DoH) Secretary Francisco T. Duque explained.

“This is why it is of utmost importance that we vaccinate all children below 5 years old (0-59 months), regardless of their vaccination status,” Duque added.

In September 2019, the DoH declared the reemergence of poliovirus in the country after one case was confirmed in Lanao del Sur. Three other cases were confirmed in Laguna and Maguindanao last month. The location of the fourth case is pending disclosed.

The DoH, RITM, United Nations Children’ Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization responded to the polio outbreaks through intensified surveillance of Acute Flaccid Paralysis cases, implementation of simultaneous mass vaccination, and expansion of ES collection sites nationwide. The NPL will continue to provide laboratory confirmation of cases and conduct collection of ES.

Meanwhile, the DoH is conducting the third round of the Sabayang Patak Kontra Polio campaign in Metro Manila and the second round in all of Mindanao. The immunization will run from 25 November to 7 December 2019.

Health workers are going house-to-house to administer the Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV). Fixed vaccination posts/patak corners in the communities will also provide the OPV.