Israeli Health Ministry Detects Polio Virus in Sewage Water in Several Areas

SadaNews - The Israeli Ministry of Health announced that it has detected the poliovirus in samples taken from sewage water in the areas of Jerusalem, Bnei Brak, Ramla, Lydd, and the central region (Gush Dan - Greater Tel Aviv), as the test results showed positive for the virus.

It indicated that these results suggest the presence of virus infection among the population in those areas, reminding that the virus caused paralysis in a 17-year-old youth in December 2024.

Poliovirus

The poliovirus, or Poliovirus, is a highly contagious virus that affects the nervous system and can lead to permanent paralysis within hours of infection.

The virus primarily spreads through the oral-fecal route, meaning through the ingestion of food or water contaminated with the feces of an infected person, and it particularly targets children under the age of five.

After entering the body, the virus multiplies in the intestines and then spreads to the spinal cord, where it can cause damage to the nerves responsible for movement.

Most infected individuals show no obvious symptoms, but some experience fever, headache, vomiting, limb pain, and neck stiffness. In rare cases, the virus affects the motor nerves and leads to permanent paralysis, often in the legs, and it can be fatal if it impacts the respiratory muscles.

There is no cure for poliomyelitis, but prevention is possible and effective through vaccines, both oral and inactivated, which are given in multiple doses to ensure long-term protection.

Since the launch of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative in 1988, the world has witnessed a massive decline in the number of cases, from hundreds of thousands annually to just a few dozens, making eradication a realistic and imminent goal.