Experts to conduct environmental surveillance for polio virus in Pune 

Experts from the World Health Organisation (WHO)-National Public Health Support Network (NPSN) and ICMR-National Institute of Virology (NIV), Mumbai for the first time will conduct environmental surveillance for wild poliovirus (WPV) and vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV) in Pune, said the officials. 

According to officials, a technical team from WHO-NPSN and district officials visited Pune’s urban areas to identify sewage collection sites. Based on an analysis of the sewerage drainage system and the location of high-risk populations in the catchment areas of sewage treatment plants (STPs), the sampling sites have been identified at Bhairoba Nala and Baner STPs. 

During the environmental surveillance samples are collected from select sewage sites. This has been a vital tool for monitoring the circulation of WPVs and VDPVs in the community and acts as a surrogate measure for the Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) surveillance system, said the public health officials. 

Dr Rajesh Dighe, assistant health officer of PMC said, “Every month samples will be collected for the identified sites. They will be maintained at the temperature specified by the experts. All these samples will be sent to the ICMR-NIV, Mumbai for processing. Besides, we have appointed a nodal officer and a team for the same,” he said. 

Dr Babita Kamlapurkar, joint director of health services, has written to the Pune Municipal Corporation to make necessary arrangements for ES.  

“In the State of Maharashtra, currently ES (Environmental surveillance) is conducted at six sites in Mumbai. As per the existing global guidelines, the city having a poliovirus essential facility (PEF) should have a functional ES. In Pune, the National Institute of Virology (NIV) is functioning as PEF,” she said. 

India has been polio-free for the last 13 years; however, the country remains at risk of poliovirus importation from other countries with wild poliovirus (WPV) and vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV) circulation.  

The state government has directed PMC to identify a nodal officer who will coordinate for sample shipment to be collected for processing. Each sewage treatment plant (STP) should have one nodal officer who will collect the sample for processing.