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Poliovirus detected in Perth wastewater as health officials monitor low-risk strain
By News Desk
Last updated: May 1, 2026
Poliovirus has been identified in a sample of wastewater in Perth, as confirmed by health officials. The detection, reported in mid-April, indicates the presence of a vaccine-derived poliovirus Type 2 strain. This strain is similar to those found in regions including Africa, Europe, and Papua New Guinea in recent years.
Western Australia’s chief health officer, Dr. Clare Huppatz, emphasized that this marks the first detection of this specific strain in Australia, although it poses a very low risk to the population. “While this is a significant finding, this detection does not provide evidence of spread of the disease in WA,” she explained. She further noted that the potential for this strain to circulate in a highly vaccinated community is very low, with 92 percent of children in Western Australia vaccinated against poliovirus.
Dr. Huppatz also pointed out that previous detections of the virus in wastewater in Europe in 2024 and 2025 did not result in any cases of the disease. The vaccine for poliovirus effectively curtails person-to-person transmission; however, in under-immunized populations, the weakened live virus within the vaccine can occasionally mutate and circulate, leading to what is known as vaccine-derived poliovirus.
Poliovirus detected in Perth wastewater as health officials monitor low-risk strain
By News Desk
Last updated: May 1, 2026
Poliovirus has been identified in a sample of wastewater in Perth, as confirmed by health officials. The detection, reported in mid-April, indicates the presence of a vaccine-derived poliovirus Type 2 strain. This strain is similar to those found in regions including Africa, Europe, and Papua New Guinea in recent years.
Western Australia’s chief health officer, Dr. Clare Huppatz, emphasized that this marks the first detection of this specific strain in Australia, although it poses a very low risk to the population. “While this is a significant finding, this detection does not provide evidence of spread of the disease in WA,” she explained. She further noted that the potential for this strain to circulate in a highly vaccinated community is very low, with 92 percent of children in Western Australia vaccinated against poliovirus.
Dr. Huppatz also pointed out that previous detections of the virus in wastewater in Europe in 2024 and 2025 did not result in any cases of the disease. The vaccine for poliovirus effectively curtails person-to-person transmission; however, in under-immunized populations, the weakened live virus within the vaccine can occasionally mutate and circulate, leading to what is known as vaccine-derived poliovirus.