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. 2025 Jan;30(3):2500037.
doi: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2025.30.3.2500037.

Detection of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) in wastewater samples: a wake-up call, Finland, Germany, Poland, Spain, the United Kingdom, 2024

Sindy Böttcher  1 , Julian Kreibich  1 , Thomas Wilton  2 , Vanessa Saliba  3 , Soile Blomqvist  4 , Haider Al-Hello  4 , Carita Savolainen-Kopra  4 , Magdalena Wieczorek  5 , Beata Gad  5 , Arleta Krzysztoszek  5 , Rosa M Pintó  6 , María Cabrerizo  7 , Albert Bosch  6 , Eugene Saxentoff  8 , Sabine Diedrich  1 , Javier Martin  2
Affiliations

Detection of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) in wastewater samples: a wake-up call, Finland, Germany, Poland, Spain, the United Kingdom, 2024

Sindy Böttcher et al. Euro Surveill. 2025 Jan.

Abstract

In 2024, circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) was detected in wastewater samples in Finland, Germany, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom (UK). All strains were genetically linked, but sequence analysis showed high genetic diversity among the strains identified within individual wastewater sites and countries and an unexpected high genetic proximity among isolates from different countries. Taken together these results, with sequential samples having tested positive in various sites, a broader geographic distribution beyond positive sampling sites must be considered.

Keywords: PHEIC; VDPV; eradication; poliomyelitis; poliovirus; wastewater.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Overview on wastewater sampling sites, routine schedule and samples tested for poliovirus, Finland, Germany, Poland, Spain, the United Kingdom, September–December 2024 (n = 337)
Figure 2
Figure 2
Phylogenetic analysis using the virus protein 1 (VP1) region of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) strains detected in wastewater samples, Finland, Germany, Poland, Spain, the United Kingdom, September–December 2024 (n = 101)
Figure 3
Figure 3
Schematic representation of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) strain NIE-ZAS-1 double recombinant structure with sequences derived from Sabin 2 vaccine strain and unidentified enterovirus C strains, Europe, 2024 (n = 16)a
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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