Poliovirus detected in Gaza sewage causes new health crisis

A new health crisis unfolded in the Israeli-bombarded Gaza with the detection of poliovirus in sewage, the Palestinian Health Ministry in the enclave has revealed.

A ministry statement noted that “tests on sewage samples, conducted in coordination with UNICEF, confirmed the presence of the poliovirus.”

The statement added that the presence of the virus in sewage, which flows through areas with displaced persons and residential zones due to infrastructure destruction, “represents a new health crisis.”

The situation is exacerbated by severe overcrowding, scarce and contaminated water supplies, accumulated garbage, and the Israeli blockade on hygiene supplies.

The ministry warned that the detection of the virus in sewage puts thousands of residents at risk of contracting polio.

"Total paralysis within hours"

Separately, the Israeli Health Ministry confirmed on Thursday that it found components of the type 2 poliovirus in sewage samples from Gaza.

The ministry said in a statement published by Channel 12 that the sample results matched those of the World Health Organization.

The samples tested in a WHO-accredited laboratory in Israel raise concerns about the virus’s presence in the area, the statement added.

Polio is a highly contagious viral disease that attacks the nervous system and can cause total paralysis within hours.

According to the World Health Organization, the escalation of hostilities by Israel in Gaza has led to a continuous rise in deaths and injuries, severe overcrowding in shelters, and the disruption of health, water, and sewage systems, which could accelerate the spread of infectious diseases.

Israel, flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire, has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza since last October.

More than 38,800 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and over 89,400 injured, according to local health authorities.

Over nine months into the Israeli onslaught, vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.