News
Polio virus in sewage sample again: This time in UK
Vaccine-derived poliovirus has been detected in sewage samples from the London Beckton Sewage Treatment Works in the eastern part of the British capital, the United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said June 22, 2022, while declaring it as a ‘national incident’.Investigations were underway, the UKHSA said, after several closely related viruses were found in sewage samples taken between February and May.
“The virus has continued to evolve and is now classified as a ‘vaccine-derived’ poliovirus type 2 (VDPV2), which on rare occasions can cause serious illness, such as paralysis, in people who are not fully vaccinated,” the agency added. No case of paralysis has been reported as of now.
The virus may have spread between closely linked individuals, who were administered an oral polio vaccine overseas.The UK offers an injected, inactivated poliovirus vaccine, which is not shed in faeces. However, several countries continue to offer the oral vaccine, which has a mild form of the virus that can be found in faeces and can thus be detected in the sewage system.The detection of a mutated version of the same strain in April and May indicates community transmission for several months, The Telegraph reported. Moreover, several samples were reported, as opposed to the occasional three per year.Expanded wastewater surveillance is underway in the city to identify local areas for targeted action.
“The importance of this finding is that it is important to ensure that all children have access to vaccines, even in developed countries, where usual vaccination coverage is quite high,” Shahin Huseynov, technical officer for the World Health Organization (WHO)’s vaccine-preventable diseases and immunisation programme in Europe, was quoted as saying by The New York Times.
The UK last reported a case of wild poliovirus in 1984 and the country was declared polio-free by 2003.
“The majority of Londoners are fully protected against polio and won’t need to take any further action. But the National Health Service (NHS) will begin reaching out to parents of children aged under five in London, who are not up to date with their polio vaccinations, to invite them to get protected,” Jane Clegg, chief nurse for the NHS in London, was quoted as saying by the UKHSA press office.
Childhood vaccination coverage, which includes polio vaccination, has been on the decline for the past few years in the UK.A third of children in the borough of Hackney and the City of London did not receive the first dose at the 12 month-mark, while nearly one quarter missed their second shot due to be taken at 24 months, according to The Telegraph.In the 2020/2021 academic year, less than 85 per cent had received all three doses of the vaccine in London, while 33 per cent missed their pre-school or teen booster.
The detection of vaccine-derived poliovirus is not rare. A case was reported from Israel March 2, 2022, in a three-year-old unvaccinated child. The figure had shot up to seven cases by April 15.Wild poliovirus is endemic only in Pakistan and Afghanistan, with just two new cases reported in 2021, according to the WHO. However, Malawi recorded Africa’s first wild poliovirus case in five years this February.
“One case of VDPV-type 1 was detected from an environmental sewage sample collected from the Shyamlal Lane ES site in Kolkata April 25, 2022,” according to a WHO statement released June 17.The global health body had added that the virus was “likely to have been excreted by an immune-deficient individual.” – DTE
Latest News
Heat index, is likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at some places in Eastern and North-central provinces and Mullaitivu and Vavuniya districts
Warm Weather Advisory
Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre of the Department of Meteorology at 3.30 p.m. 27 April 2025, valid for 28 April 2025
The public are warned that the Heat index, the temperature felt on human body is likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at some places in Eastern and North-central provinces and Mullaitivu and Vavuniya districts.
The Heat Index Forecast is calculated by using relative humidity and maximum temperature and this is the condition that is felt on your body. This is not the forecast of maximum temperature. It is generated by the Department of Meteorology for the next day period and prepared by using global numerical weather prediction model data.
Effect of the heat index on human body is mentioned in the above table and it is prepared on the advice of the Ministry of Health and Indigenous Medical Services.
ACTION REQUIRED
Job sites: Stay hydrated and takes breaks in the shade as often as possible.
Indoors: Check up on the elderly and the sick.
Vehicles: Never leave children unattended.
Outdoors: Limit strenuous outdoor activities, find shade and stay hydrated. Dress: Wear lightweight and white or light-colored clothing.
Note:
In addition, please refer to advisories issued by the Disaster Preparedness & Response Division, Ministry of Health in this regard as well. For further clarifications please contact 011-7446491.
Latest News
People have now started to think of themselves as Sri Lankans sans ethnic or religious divisions- PM
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated that for the first time in history, mosques in Kandy had opened their doors to accommodate the needs of devotees visiting the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic and that people have now started to think of themselves as Sri Lankans beyond dividing into ethnicities and religions.
The Prime Minister made these remarks while addressing a public gathering held in the Paragahadeniya area in Kurunegala.
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya further stated:
“This country is undergoing a transformation we expected,so accordingly, we must operate in new ways. People are beginning to feel that we must work towards a new transformation. We can see this change even within our ministries. These days, sometimes when we visit ministries even after 5 PM, and ask if it is possible to have discussions, the officials are always open. Today, public officials are willing to work late into the night, until 9 or 10 PM. Officials have now started working without fear.
Remarkably, for the first time in history, Muslim mosques in Kandy remained open throughout the night to accommodate pilgrims visiting the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic. They even provided space for devotees to rest. There were no ethnic or religious tensions. What we saw was respect for other ethnicities and religions. This is happening because there is now a sense of a government that represents all Sri Lankan people, not just Sinhalese, Muslims, or Tamils”.
The event was attended by the candidates for the local government election including the residents of the area.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
The Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) has urged the NPP government to prevent Japan’s Onomichi Dockyard Company from selling its 51% ownership stake in the Colombo Dockyard Limited (CDL) to Indian government-owned Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited, Mumbai, a leading shipbuilder.
FSP spokesman Pubudu Jayagoda told The Island yesterday (27) that the move seemed to be in line with the overall India-Sri Lanka understanding on the basis of the recently signed memorandum on defence cooperation.
Against the backdrop of deteriorating financial situation, the Japanese company has informed the board of directors of CDL of its plans to divest its 51 percent ownership stake in the international shipbuilding and repair company. The Japanese shipbuilder made the announcement in early Dec last year.
Alleging that an agreement has been reached on the sale of Onomichi’s controlling ownership stake to the Indian ship builder, Jayagoda questioned
the move as Mazagon primarily built a range of warships and attack submarines. Jayagoda pointed out that according to Mazagon’s profile, the Indian government-owned business undertaking was involved with European companies engaged in ship and submarine construction.
Addressing a Local Government election meeting at Weeraketiya, Pallekanda, in support of those contesting the May 6 election on the ticket of Jana Aragala Sandhanaya (JAS), the executive committee member of JAS Jayagoda emphasized that in terms of the agreement between Sri Lanka and Japan, Onomichi couldn’t sell its stake without the Sri Lankan government’s approval. Therefore, the NPP government should intervene to halt the Japanese-Indian move, the FSP spokesman said while urging the parliamentary opposition to publicly oppose the planned sale of the Japanese stake.
Among other stakeholders are Sri Lanka Insurance, Sri Lanka Ports Authority and EPF.
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Heat index, is likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at some places in Eastern and North-central provinces and Mullaitivu and Vavuniya districts
People have now started to think of themselves as Sri Lankans sans ethnic or religious divisions- PM
Heavy showers about 100 mm are likely at some places in Central, Sabaragamuwa, Uva, Eastern and North-central provinces and in Vavuniya, Mullaittivu and Kurunegala districts.
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