Polio virus found in Hyderabad’s sewerage water

The Telangana government on Tuesday decided to conduct a special campaign against polio after a particular type of polio virus was found in sewerage water in the city.

The Telangana government on Tuesday decided to conduct a special campaign against polio after a particular type of polio virus was found in sewerage water in the city.

A medical staff administers polio drops at polio eradication campaign in Shimla. Santosh Rawat/HT

The virus (vaccine derived polio virus type-II) was found in the lab tests conducted on samples of sewerage water collected at Amberpet in Telangana, according to Rajeshwar Tiwari, Principal Secretary (Health) of the state government.

The virus was found in the checks conducted as part of the monitoring system put in place after polio was eradicated in the country in 2011.

“The government decided to conduct a special campaign against polio here and in parts of Ranga Reddy district from June 20 to June 26,” he said.

The campaign would be targeted at children in the age group of six weeks to three years.