By Ethan Covey
Sewage samples from four European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA) countries and the United Kingdom have tested positive for circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2), according to a briefing from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
This represents the first time that cVDPV2 has been detected in EU/EEA countries via environmental surveillance.
“Europe has been polio-free for more than 20 years,” said Pamela Rendi-Wagner, MD, the ECDC director. “We have to remain vigilant, maintain high vaccination rates and close any vaccination gaps that exist to prevent any return of this serious disease.”
From September through December 2024, cVDPV2 was detected in wastewater samples in Finland, Spain, Poland, Germany and the United Kingdom.
While the ECDC noted that potential circulation of the virus poses a threat to public health, the agency stressed that no human cases of polio connected to the detection of cVDPV2 have been reported.
Although the source of cVDPV2 remains unknown, the ECDC report noted that “laboratory analyses likely indicate that the virus has been repeatedly introduced from an unknown area where that specific form of the virus is still in circulation.”
Vaccination effectively protects against the risk for severe disease caused by poliovirus. However, while rates of vaccination are generally high—above 90%—on the national level in the EU/EEA, vaccination at the subnational level can be much lower. This increases the risk that the virus may spread in under- or unvaccinated populations.
Dr. Rendi-Wagner reported no relevant financial disclosures.
