The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that a polio outbreak could emerge in war-torn Gaza, with Israel already vaccinating its troops against the disease.
The WHO representative in Jerusalem, Ayadil Saparbekov, said on Tuesday he is "extremely worried about an outbreak happening in Gaza,” after the poliovirus was discovered in sewage samples in the conflict-hit territory.
No polio cases have been recorded so far, Saparbekov said, but disruption to the supply of fresh water, the disposal of waste, and the decimated healthcare system in Gaza has left the population vulnerable to the disease.
Saparbekov - a public health expert who leads the WHO’s emergency response team in the Palestinian territories - said hundreds of people are sharing one toilet in emergency shelters, with people in Gaza living off less than 2 litres of water per day.
Polio, which is transmitted via faecal and oral contamination, is a highly debilitating disease which can lead to paralysis and eventually death. It has been largely eradicated in many parts of the globe. (DPA)