Hi Shivaram,

I am not sure. But I did a Google search and found this one from WHO: www.who.int/features/factfiles/polio/facts/en/index3.html

There are 3 strains of wild poliovirus, none of which can survive for long periods outside of the human body. If the virus cannot find an unvaccinated person to infect, it will die out.

Here it says:

The virus can live in an infected person’s feces for many weeks.

www.cdc.gov/polio/about/

And here it says:

The poliovirus can survive up to two months outside the body.

www.pbs.org/wgbh/rxforsurvival/series/diseases/polio.html

So it seems like it would theoretically be possible to get infected via fairly fresh fecal sludge.

Perhaps someone from the health sector can shed more light on this?
By the way: Did you see the current thematic discussion on the new WHO Guidelines on Sanitation and Health? See here:
forum.susana.org/guidelines-sanitation-and-health-tds

Regards,
Elisabeth

Hi,

Is there any study/evidence of dormant polio virus resurfacing from fecal sludge (from on-site systems like pits and septic tanks) when disposed in open areas.?

Regards,

Shivaram

@Keith: have a look at the attached paper.

JK, where have you seen this association between polio vaccine effectiveness and poor sanitation discussed?

Sometimes I think I'm the only person talking about it as the problem is usually described as being about malnutrition, not malabsorption syndrome caused by poor sanitation.

Congratulations, Mr. Mughal!

This post used to be here in this thread where Mughal had asked "Polio is a problem here, as you have read in newspapers. I would appreciate, if some friends can shows specific pathways of how poor sanitation leads to polio.": forum.susana.org/forum/categories/10-by-...l-from-pakistan#7722

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Interesting interview! Having lived for about a year in Pakistan before, I can definitely relate to some of the issues Mughal rises.

About the polio-sanitation link:
This is fairly well established, for a quick overview this should do:
www.polioeradication.org/Polioandprevention.aspx
There are even some that think improved WASH had an higher effect on polio eradication in most of the world than the vaccine has.
An interesting recent emerging topic is that bad sanitation (through environmental enteropathy and premature immune-system aging) also lowers the efficiency of child vaccination and thus has also indirectly an effect on the persistence of polio in some countries.