A polio outbreak has been recorded in Zambia after the virus was detected in the wastewater of the country's capital, Lusaka. According to the Kazinform agency, the information was received from Xinhua.
Acting Minister of Health Cornelius Mweetwa noted that the virus was identified thanks to the national environmental monitoring system. Currently, there have been no reported cases of paralysis caused by polio.
“The detection of the virus in wastewater indicates its presence in our communities,” the minister stated in parliament.
Mweetwa also mentioned that the virus has been detected in several neighboring countries, indicating the possibility of its regional spread. Authorities have established a national polio response system to coordinate preventive measures. Risk assessments and field studies are currently being conducted to determine the extent of the infection transmission in populated areas.
In addition, local authorities will cooperate with the World Health Organization to vaccinate all children under five years old in high-risk areas.
It should be noted that the last case of wild poliovirus in Zambia was recorded in 1995; however, cases of virus circulation periodically arise, the most recent of which was registered in December 2023.
Adelya Klycheva
