Thousands at risk as traces of polio detected in Gaza's sewage

Disease makes a return more than 25 years after it was first eradicated

Girls walk with water containers past a puddle of sewage water from collapsed underground pipes in Khan Younis in Gaza. Polio has been detected in samples taken from sewage in the enclave. AFP

Polio has been detected in samples taken from sewage in the war-ravaged Gaza Strip, the Ministry of Health said.

The disease, which could cause paralysis, has returned more than 25 years after Palestine was declared polio free.

Half a million people live in tents in overcrowded “safe zones” such as Al Mawasi and hospitals are running out of space for thousands of displaced civilians seeking shelter.

The resulting accumulation of wastewater, sewage, rubbish and a lack of access to cleaning products amid the continuing Israeli siege has created an environment ripe for the spread of infection, humanitarian and health officials warned.

“The presence of the polio-causing virus in sewage water that accumulates and flows between the tents of displaced people and in residential areas due to the destruction of infrastructure represents a new health disaster,” the ministry said on Friday.

Thousands are at risk of contracting the disease, it added.

The ministry called for an end to the Israeli offensive to allow the delivery of clean water required to restart sewage treatment plants.

The International Committee of the Red Cross acknowledged receiving reports that polio had been detected in wastewater.

“We are aware of these reports and are gravely concerned about the potential spread this and other infectious water and airborne diseases, particularly combined with the weakened immunity of many in the Gaza Strip, and the current lack of healthcare facilities,” Hisham Mhanna, ICRC spokesman in Gaza, told The National.

The siege on the Palestinian enclave has prevented the entry of aid and sanitary products, making it difficult for civilians in the overpopulated war zone to maintain personal hygiene.

Many preventable infections and diseases are also spreading as medical supplies and medicine are scarce.

The Israeli Health Ministry said poliovirus type 2 had been found in sewage samples it had tested.

A Palestinian baby with a skin condition caused by malnutrition is treated at a hospital in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza. AFP

All municipal activities across the enclave have also ceased amid the violence, including operations at sewage treatment plants. All vaccination efforts have also been halted.

Despite Palestine normally being a “high coverage” country in terms of vaccinations, the war in Gaza has forced a reassessment concerning immunisation efforts, the UN said on Monday.

The world body warned about the risk of communicable diseases spreading since the conflict began in October.

It has reported cases such as meningitis, skin rashes, chickenpox and measles, including among children.

Gazans struggling with displacement, the destruction of medical centres and food scarcity now have to deal with the stench of rotting rubbish, which has become a breeding ground for disease-spreading pests.

Attacks on municipality workers and centres make it even more difficult to address the issue.

Authorities in Deir Al Balah, where thousands of displaced people have sought shelter, warned earlier this week that wastewater would soon flow on roads as sanitation plants had been shut down due to a lack of fuel.