Poliovirus: what is the risk?

<p>For the first time since 1984 polio has been found to be spreading in the UK, after being detected at a sewage works in London on three separate occasions this year.</p><br><p>As a result <a href="https://www.standard.co.uk/news/health/what-is-polio-london-cases-poliovirus-beckton-east-london-spread-symptoms-vaccine-b1007711.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Londoners have been urged to make sure that babies and children are fully vaccinated</a> against polio.</p><br><p>It is a rare disabling and life-threatening disease caused by the poliovirus.&nbsp;</p><br><p>Jane Clegg, Chief nurse for the NHS in London said that <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/poliovirus-detected-in-sewage-from-north-and-east-london" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the majority of Londoners are fully protected against polio</a> and won’t need to take any further action.</p><br><p>In this episode, <a href="https://www.imperial.ac.uk/people/m.skinner" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Dr Mike Skinner from Imperial College London</a> discusses the history of polio, how likely further community spread is, and how worried we should be about it.</p><br><p>Follow us on <a href="https://twitter.com/EveningStandard" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Twitter</a> for more news @EveningStandard </p><br><p><br></p><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for privacy and opt-out information.</p>