UK Confirms Poliovirus Detection in 2026

Despite the United Kingdom (UK) maintaining high vaccination coverage and remaining polio-free for decades, recent detections of poliovirus in wastewater have emerged as a significant early warning signal.

As of January 28, 2026, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) reported the detection of a circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) in an environmental sample in the UK.

This finding was part of routine wastewater surveillance conducted by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and is part of ongoing efforts to monitor for poliovirus in sewage systems.

This recent detection aligns with a pattern of similar findings in the UK. Previous cVDPV2 detections in the UK during 2025 and late 2024 were linked to specific sites, for example:

A single sample from Shoreham STW on January 20, 2025 (with follow-up negative).

Other 2025 instances in regions such as Yorkshire and the Humber (September 2025 sample).

Detections in late 2024 from East Worthing STW (covering parts of West Sussex), Leeds Knostrop STW, and London Beckton/Crossness STWs.

In June 2022, UKHSA announced that environmental surveillance for polio had consistently detected poliovirus in sewage samples collected from the Beckton Sewage Treatment Works in London.

Additional cases were noted in sources like the GPEI's weekly updates and UKHSA reports.

The strain involved in the recent UK detections has often been genetically linked to broader international clusters. In late 2024 and into 2025, a specific genetic cluster of cVDPV2—originating from lineages first observed in Nigeria—was detected in wastewater across multiple European countries, including the UK.

These detections underscored the risk of importation and silent circulation in under-vaccinated areas, prompting calls from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

As of January 30, 2026, the CDC's Level 2 - Practice Enhanced Precautions, Travel Health Notice lists 32 countries, including the UK. The CDC advises speaking with a travel vaccine advisor about immunization options before visiting countries at high risk for poliovirus.

CDC health experts say that as long as the poliovirus circulates anywhere, the risk of importation persists, even in polio-free regions.