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Poliovirus has been detected in sewage samples from Gaza, according to health ministries in both the Hamas-controlled territory and Israel. The Gaza ministry warned that thousands of people residing in overcrowded displacement camps are now at risk of contracting this highly infectious disease, which can lead to deformities and paralysis.
Despite a four-decade-long campaign by UN agencies to eradicate polio, which is commonly spread through sewage and contaminated water, there has been a resurgence in recent years in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and a few isolated cases in Nigeria.
Tests conducted by the Gaza ministry in collaboration with UNICEF “showed the presence of poliovirus” in the territory following the recent Israeli military offensive that began on October 7 in response to Hamas attacks.
The Israeli health ministry confirmed that poliovirus type 2 was found in Gaza sewage samples tested in an Israeli laboratory, and the World Health Organization reported similar findings. The Gaza ministry emphasised the dire conditions in the territory, including “severe overcrowding,” “scarce water” that is becoming contaminated with sewage, and the accumulation of rubbish.
They blamed Israel’s refusal to allow hygiene supplies into Gaza for creating “a suitable environment for the spread of different diseases.”
The ministry urged for an end to the Israeli offensive to enable the delivery of safe water and the resumption of sewage treatment. Authorities in Deir el-Balah, a central Gaza town, reported that wastewater treatment stations had been shut down due to a lack of fuel, warning that “roads will be flooded by wastewater,” putting 700,000 civilians, mostly displaced, at risk of contracting sewage-borne diseases.
Israel’s health ministry acknowledged that the samples “raise concerns about the presence of the virus in this region” and said that Israeli health authorities are “monitoring and evaluating necessary steps to prevent the risk of disease in Israel.”
Despite a four-decade-long campaign by UN agencies to eradicate polio, which is commonly spread through sewage and contaminated water, there has been a resurgence in recent years in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and a few isolated cases in Nigeria.
Tests conducted by the Gaza ministry in collaboration with UNICEF “showed the presence of poliovirus” in the territory following the recent Israeli military offensive that began on October 7 in response to Hamas attacks.
The Israeli health ministry confirmed that poliovirus type 2 was found in Gaza sewage samples tested in an Israeli laboratory, and the World Health Organization reported similar findings. The Gaza ministry emphasised the dire conditions in the territory, including “severe overcrowding,” “scarce water” that is becoming contaminated with sewage, and the accumulation of rubbish.
They blamed Israel’s refusal to allow hygiene supplies into Gaza for creating “a suitable environment for the spread of different diseases.”
The ministry urged for an end to the Israeli offensive to enable the delivery of safe water and the resumption of sewage treatment. Authorities in Deir el-Balah, a central Gaza town, reported that wastewater treatment stations had been shut down due to a lack of fuel, warning that “roads will be flooded by wastewater,” putting 700,000 civilians, mostly displaced, at risk of contracting sewage-borne diseases.
Israel’s health ministry acknowledged that the samples “raise concerns about the presence of the virus in this region” and said that Israeli health authorities are “monitoring and evaluating necessary steps to prevent the risk of disease in Israel.”
