The Health Ministry in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip has declared the Palestinian territory a “polio-endemic zone” and blamed Israeli military operations for destroying medical infrastructure, which has led to a resurgence of the virus.
The ministry said CPV2 virus strain was detected in sewage samples taken from the southern Khan Yunis region and central governorates.
The ministry did not say whether any human cases had been found, but said the presence of the virus “is a health threat to the population of the Gaza Strip and neighbouring countries and an impediment to the global polio eradication program.”
The wild virus currently circulates only in Afghanistan and Pakistan, but a version of the vaccine containing small amounts of weakened live poliovirus has caused occasional outbreaks elsewhere.
A United Nations agency recently announced that one such vaccine-derived type 2 poliovirus had been detected in samples taken from sewage.
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The ministry said “Israeli brutal aggression that deprived the population of usable water, destroyed sanitation infrastructure, led to massive accumulation of garbage and a lack of food security” had led to the virus resurgence.
The World Health Organization said on Tuesday it was “facing a highly troubling situation.”
“The presence of vaccine-derived poliovirus in wastewater means that it is likely to be present in humans somewhere,” WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier told reporters.
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“However, approximately 75 percent of people who become infected with polio never develop any symptoms.
“That means there is a high probability that there are infected people in the population, but it doesn’t necessarily mean there are cases.”
He said a vaccine distribution campaign was needed throughout the Gaza Strip.
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“It’s not enough to just get the vaccine to Ben Gurion airport and hopefully get it to Gaza — we need to get the vaccine to people,” Lindmeier said.
Israeli bombing and ground attacks have devastated large swaths of the Gaza Strip, forcing most of its 2.4 million residents to flee.
The war in Gaza began after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, resulting in the deaths of 1,197 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.
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Militants also captured 251 people, 111 of whom remain in Gaza captivity, while the army said 39 were killed.
The Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip’s Health Ministry said 39,400 people have been killed in the Israeli military operation so far, but did not provide details on the toll of civilians and combatants killed.
Barra JD/DCP
