“I am extremely concerned that there could be an outbreak in Gaza,” said WHO representative Ayadil Saparbekov in Jerusalem. The polio virus, which is responsible for polio, was discovered in wastewater samples from the war zone. So far, it has not been detected in any patients, said the expert, who is responsible for health crises in the Palestinian territories.
High risk of spread
But due to major problems with the fresh water supply, sewage disposal and the severely weakened health system, the risk of spreading is very high, said Saparbekov. In emergency shelters, hundreds of people share one toilet. Each person has less than two liters of water per day at their disposal.
Vaccination campaign in the Gaza Strip
His concern is therefore not only about polio, but also about other infectious diseases that could lead to many deaths, warned Saparbekov. Polio is transmitted through excretions and orally. The viruses discovered come from vaccinated people who carry the pathogens. The positive samples do not mean that anyone in the Gaza Strip has already been infected, Saparbekov stressed. The exact origin of the viruses will be analyzed in the next few days. Recommendations for a possible vaccination campaign in the Gaza Strip, which are being drawn up by local authorities and international institutions such as the WHO, are to be announced by Sunday.
Israel’s army says it has begun vaccinating its entire force against polio. The army and other organizations are also in the process of bringing vaccine to the Gaza Strip. Since the start of the war with the Islamist Hamas, 300,000 doses have already been delivered to the area, the army announced at the weekend.
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