Ghaziabad Health Officials on High Alert After Detection of Polio Virus in Sewage, ETHealthworld
Ghaziabad: Ghaziabad health authorities on Wednesday launched a special surveillance and field survey campaign across 12 urban primary health centre areas after a sewage sample collected from the Dundahera Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) tested positive for vaccine-derived poliovirus type-1.
According to officials, the virus was detected in a sample taken from the Dundahera pumping station during routine monitoring.
Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Sachin clarified that the detected virus was vaccine-derived and non-virulent, and it does not pose any serious threat to public health.
“The oral polio vaccine contains a live but weakened virus, which can be detected in some circumstances,” he said.
“There is no need to panic,” the CMO added.
He further said that the situation is being closely monitored in coordination with the state and central governments, as well as the World Health Organization (WHO).
As part of precautionary measures, the health department has identified 12 affected and neighbouring areas for an intensive survey covering nearly 1.25 lakh residents.
More than 107 health teams have been deployed to carry out door-to-door screening of children under five years of age, officials said.
