The authorities of Zambia have reported an outbreak of polio following the detection of the virus in the sewage of the capital, Lusaka. This information was made public by the Kazinform agency, citing data from Xinhua.
Cornelius Mweetwa, the acting Minister of Health, stated that the virus was identified as part of the national ecological monitoring system. Currently, no cases of paralysis related to polio have been recorded.
The minister noted in parliament that the presence of the virus in sewage indicates its possible spread among the population.
Additionally, he mentioned that the virus has also been detected in several neighboring countries, indicating its regional spread. In this regard, the government has developed a national polio response program to coordinate actions against the virus. Currently, risk assessments and field studies are being conducted to determine the extent of infection transmission in various localities.
The authorities also plan to collaborate with the World Health Organization to organize vaccination for children under five in high-risk areas.
It is worth noting that the last case of wild poliovirus in the country was recorded in 1995; however, cases of virus circulation have been periodically reported, the latest of which occurred in December 2023.
Adelya Klycheva
