<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A highly contagious and deadly disease that has not been contracted in Australia for 54 years has been detected in sewage in </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/perth" rel="" target="_blank" title="Perth."><span>Perth.</span></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Health officials say evidence of a vaccine-derived </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/first-case-of-polio-confirmed-in-a-10monthold-child-in-gaza-palestinian-health-officials-say/5762849a-72ae-4ef6-a93e-d0bf64abca03" rel="" target="_blank" title="poliovirus"><span>poliovirus</span></a><span> strain was found in a sample of untreated wastewater at the Subiaco wastewater treatment plant in mid-April.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It is the first time this particular strain has been discovered in Australia, after similar detections were reported in Europe in 2024 and 2025.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/victorian-car-registration-rebate-how-will-it-work-everything-to-know-explain/086d756a-6996-41af-9bc8-fde5f0879466" rel="" target="_blank" title="Rego slashed by $186 for drivers in one state"><strong><span>Rego slashed by $186 for drivers in one state</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The detections in Europe did not lead to any cases of polio.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The strain found in Perth is likely linked to a person from overseas, according to the Australian Centre for Disease Control.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Vaccine-derived poliovirus, which was found in a wastewater sample, is rare but can be detected in regions where oral polio vaccines are used.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/poliovirus-detected-in-waste-water-perth/ea171b6b-9a3f-43c8-a931-6971eccabd05" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Australia does not use oral polio vaccines, authorities said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The detection has been labelled "significant", but officials said it was not evidence of the spread of polio in Australia.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Wastewater surveillance is designed to give us early warning, so health authorities can take precautionary action," Australian Centre for Disease Control Director-General Professor Zoe Wainer said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Wastewater surveillance is designed to give us early warning, so health authorities can take precautionary action.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"This is an environmental detection, not a clinical case.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"No cases of polio have been identified, and there is no evidence of local transmission."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>EXCLUSIVE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/life-and-career-after-redundancy-natasha-ciesielski/dd153cff-e437-470f-a3e6-92f9b7872121" target="_blank" title="Natasha is leaving her 9 to 5 career behind after being made redundant twice"><strong><span>Natasha is leaving her 9 to 5 career behind after being made redundant twice</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/white-house-correspondents-dinner-gunman-surveillance-footage/59bbd458-8843-4fe5-bad7-d5beff541d46" target="_blank" title="Surveillance footage shows gunman charging through officers at Washington dinner"><strong><span>Surveillance footage shows gunman charging through officers at Washington dinner</span></strong></a><strong><span></span></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Wainer said Australia remains polio-free and the detection in Perth does not impact this status.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The WA government will increase testing at the Subiaco wastewater plant to weekly for six months in response to the detection.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The last case of locally-acquired polio was in 1972.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Wild poliovirus type 1 is still circulating across Pakistan and Afghanistan.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (VDPV2), a different strain, </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/polio-water-melbourne-vaccine/7ff3540a-d703-4cf8-bb35-22a818fd1cda" rel="" target="_blank" title="was also detected during routine wastewater sampling in Melbourne in 2024."><span>was also detected during routine wastewater sampling in Melbourne in 2024.</span></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It did not lead to any cases of polio in Australia.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><strong><span>What is poliovirus?</span></strong></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Polio, or poliomyelitis, is a highly contagious viral infection that can cause paralysis and death.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It mainly affects children under five.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Australia has a polio vaccine which protects against types 1, 2 and 3.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Around 93 per cent of children aged five years are fully vaccinated against polio in Australia, which is below the global target of 95 per cent.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Australia was declared polio-free in 2000, and the only case of polio detected in the country since then was in 2007, when an overseas-born student contracted the disease while abroad.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><em><span>NEVER MISS A STORY:</span></em></strong><span> </span><em><span>Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></em></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><strong><em><span>Download the 9NEWS App here via</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Apple</span></em></strong></a><span> </span><strong><em><span>and</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Google Play</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Make 9News your preferred source on Google by</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://9.nine.com.au/8x987w" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>ticking this box here</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Sign up to</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://login.nine.com.au/edm?client_id=nineatnine" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>our breaking newsletter here</span></em></strong></a></li></ul></div></div>