The Health Ministry said Thursday that poliovirus has been detected in sewage samples from multiple locations, raising concerns about renewed circulation of the virus in the country and prompting officials to urge the public to ensure vaccinations are up to date.
According to the ministry, samples from Bnei Brak, Ramla, Lod and the Shafdan central sewage treatment facility tested positive for poliovirus. Additional environmental samples in the Jerusalem district also contained traces of the virus. Health officials said the findings indicate that the virus is spreading among the population in these areas.
The ministry stressed that individuals who are not vaccinated against polio should complete their immunization schedule as soon as possible. Vaccines are available at maternal and child health clinics across the country and through school health services. Parents can verify their children’s vaccination status through the government’s online health portal.
Prof. Tal Brosh, head of the Infectious Diseases Unit at Assuta Ashdod Public Hospital and coordinator of the Health Ministry’s epidemic response team, said the virus currently detected is a strain that originated from a weakened vaccine virus but has since mutated and is now capable of causing illness, including paralytic polio.
“We are seeing signs of the virus spreading in different parts of the country, including the Tel Aviv area, Jerusalem and Beit Shemesh,” Brosh said. “The virus is excreted in the feces of carriers—children or adults who may not show symptoms—and can infect unvaccinated children. In some cases, it can lead to severe and irreversible paralysis.”
The ministry’s updated guidance to district physicians, health fund administrators and hospital directors includes closing immunization gaps, tightening clinical surveillance for suspected cases of acute flaccid paralysis, immediate reporting of suspected cases, and expanded environmental monitoring.
In December 2024, a 17-year-old boy from Jerusalem who had not been vaccinated was diagnosed with acute flaccid paralysis at Shaare Zedek Medical Center. Tests confirmed the presence of vaccine-derived poliovirus type 1 (VDPV1). In response, wastewater monitoring was expanded to include new sampling points, including in Jerusalem and Beit Shemesh. Since February 2025, VDPV1 has been found in several samples in those areas.
Poliomyelitis, or polio, is a contagious disease caused by a virus that spreads mainly through contact with fecal matter, and less commonly through respiratory secretions. It enters the digestive system, multiplies, and is excreted in stool. Most infections—between 80% and 90%—are asymptomatic, but some cause flu-like symptoms including fever, nausea, vomiting and sore throat. In rare cases, it leads to meningitis or paralysis.
Less than 1% of infected individuals—typically those who are unvaccinated—develop paralysis, which often affects the legs and can be accompanied by severe muscle pain. Paralysis of the respiratory muscles may require mechanical ventilation. Once paralysis occurs, it cannot be reversed. However, the disease is entirely preventable through vaccination.
In March 2025, Israel stopped using the oral polio vaccine (bOPV) as part of its routine immunization program. The decision aligns with World Health Organization policy in the European region and follows recommendations from Israeli advisory bodies. Officials cited regulatory reasons, including the closure of bOPV production facilities in Western countries. Future use of the oral vaccine would only be considered during a large-scale outbreak to curb community transmission.
The inactivated polio vaccine (IPV), which remains part of Israel’s standard immunization schedule, offers nearly complete protection from all known polio strains and is considered the most effective method of preventing disease and severe complications. The vaccine has been used worldwide for decades and provides up to 100% protection when the full series is administered. However, vaccinated individuals may still excrete the virus, meaning IPV is less effective than the oral vaccine at preventing transmission.
“The best way to protect children is with the inactivated polio vaccine (IPV), which is safe and effective,” Brosh said.
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Dr. Shiri Barkan-Kristal, a pediatrician and head of the pediatric residency program at the Meuhedet health fund, also urged the public to vaccinate. “There is no treatment for polio, but there is a simple and effective way to prevent it: the vaccine,” she said.
Barkan Pearl noted that polio has been eradicated in countries with high vaccination rates since the 1950s. The virus spreads through contact with bodily secretions, she said, and most people who are infected show no symptoms, although in some cases fever, abdominal pain and nausea may appear. In rare cases, it can lead to paralysis.
“The vaccine is safe, effective and accessible,” she said. “A vaccinated child is a protected child.”
Polio vaccines are available across Israel at maternal and child health clinics, district health offices, travel clinics and health fund locations. Adults who were not vaccinated in childhood are also eligible to receive the vaccine.