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Polio spreading in Britain for first time in decades as national incident declared

Polio is thought to be spreading in Britain for the first time in decades as the NHS is warned to look out for paralysis cases. 

The UK Health Security Agency has repeatedly detected the poliovirus in the London sewage works and has called on families to check children are fully vaccinated.

The last community outbreak in Britain was in the 1970s but health officials insist the current risk to the population is low.

Oral vaccines against polio offered abroad contain an “attenuated” form of the virus - weakened in a laboratory so it cannot cause disease.

These vaccine-derived forms of the virus remain in stool and are occasionally picked up in routine UK testing of sewage samples, conducted in London and Glasgow.

The oral vaccines are different to the polio injections offered in the UK which contain a completely inactivated form of the virus.

It is thought someone from Afghanistan, Pakistan or Nigeria who had recently received the oral vaccine has seen this weakened form of the virus then mutate and passed it on to others.

Western Mail Oral vaccines against polio offered abroad contain an “attenuated” form of the virus - weakened in a laboratory so it cannot cause disease

For the first time Britain has repeatedly detected genetically-linked samples suggesting the virus has been spreading since February and has continued to mutate from this symptomless vaccine-derived form.

Recent fortnightly sewage samples have increased concerns it may have mutated from the harmless virus to the wild type form that was endemic in Europe from Victorian times.

The UKHSA has declared a national incident and alerted the World Health Organisation, which could strip Britain of its polio-free status.

Dr Vanessa Saliba, consultant epidemiologist at UKHSA, said: “Vaccine-derived poliovirus is rare and the risk to the public overall is extremely low.

“Vaccine-derived poliovirus has the potential to spread, particularly in communities where vaccine uptake is lower.

“On rare occasions it can cause paralysis in people who are not fully vaccinated so if you or your child are not up to date with your polio vaccinations it’s important you contact your GP to catch up or if unsure check your red book. “Most of the UK population will be protected from vaccination in childhood but in some communities with low vaccine coverage, individuals may remain at risk.

 

“We are urgently investigating to better understand the extent of this transmission and the NHS has been asked to swiftly report any suspected cases to the UKHSA though no cases have been reported or confirmed so far.”

Polio has existed as long as human society but became a major public health issue from late Victorian times with major epidemics in Europe and the US.

The poliovirus enters the body through the nose or mouth and may go on to invade the central nervous system, destroying or damaging the nerve cells that control muscles.

It results in weakness and loss of use of limbs. In one in 200 cases it causes irreversible paralysis.

Up to 10% of those paralysed die when their breathing muscles stop working. In the early 20th century patients were forced to live using an “iron lung” machine that would breathe for them.

There is no cure for polio once a person becomes infected and it can only be prevented by vaccination.

The last outbreak in the UK was in the late 1970s and the last case of naturally-occurring polio was detected in 1984.

The NHS offers three doses of its polio injection to infants with top up jabs at age three and 14. Uptake has dropped in recent years and is lower in London.

People who have had three doses of this injection are likely to be at least 99% protected from paralysis.

However even those fully vaccinated can get the virus and spread it without experiencing symptoms.

Sewage samples are taken from the London Beckton Sewage Works which cover four million people in the capital. Waste water surveillance is now being expanded.

Doctors have been instructed to consider polio if patients present with symptoms of paralysis.

Jane Clegg, chief nurse for the NHS in London said: “The majority of Londoners are fully protected against polio and won’t need to take any further action, but the NHS will begin reaching out to parents of children aged under five in London who are not up-to-date with their vaccinations to invite them to get protected.

“Meanwhile parents can also check their child’s vaccination status in their Red Book and people should contact their GP Practice to book a vaccination should they or their child not be fully up-to-date.”

Polio is now mainly only found in two countries, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The attenuated oral vaccine offered abroad is known to be able to trigger an infection which then sees the virus mutate and spread, but only in one in a million cases.

In countries where everyone has received the oral form they are better protected from outbreaks developing as a result of the vaccine virus.

The Great British Bake Off’s Mary Berry contracted polio at the age of 13 and had to spend three months in hospital. This resulted in her having a twisted spine, a weaker left hand and thinner left arm.

Other well known names affected as children include US actors Mia Farrow and Donald Sutherland, and singer Joni Mitchell. 

Reference: Mirror: Martin Bagot 

Heartbreaking moment Victoria Ekanoye is told she will go through early menopause during cancer battle

Reference: OK: Niamh Shackleton 

Michael Mosley weight loss: Certain fruits to remove from your diet for fast weight loss

Dr Michael Mosley has long been hailed a weight loss guru, with his 5:2 and Fast 800 diets gaining lots of loyal followers who have had success with shedding the pounds. And it seems his advice is endless as he revealed there are some commonly eaten fruits people should ditch if they want to lose weight fast.

He recommends swapping "super sweet" fruits for alternatives.

"What you eat has a profound effect on your mental health, and therefore on your energy levels," he told sbs.com.

"Once you've started the virtuous circle, then all the other things become much easier.

"Fruit is great if you're healthy but if you have weight to lose, then switching to less sugary fruits like apples and berries might be wise."

Dr Mosley also advised fruits like mangoes are quite high in natural sugars in comparison to other fruits like grapes, raspberries or avocado.

"One average-sized mango contains 45 grams of sugar," he explained.

"To put that in comparison with other fruits, one cup of grapes has 23 grams, a cup of raspberries has five grams, while a whole avocado contains 1.33 grams of sugar."

The Fast-800 website also states that slimmers should avoid eating melons and pineapples too often, as they also contain high levels of sugar.

And while "eat a banana" has always been a go-to to fill people up, the nutritional expert warned that if a person wants to lose weight, they aren't as healthy as some may think.

Dr Michael continued: "If you are young and slim so you can get away with [eating sugary fruits] you can't particularly [consume lots of mangoes or bananas] if you are looking to lose weight."

He also replied to a follower on Twitter where he explained: "A banana has equivalent of about three teaspoons of sugar, but also has three grams of fibre.

"If you eat the skin - even more fibre.

 GETTY He recommends swapping 'super sweet' fruits for alternatives

"Berries, apples and pears are fine," he added.

"But limit tropical fruits such as mango, melon and pineapple. Go easy on the bananas."

According to Healthline, the daily guidelines limit for banana consumption is one or two a day.

They advised people stick to the recommendation, as eating too much of any food, even one as healthy as bananas, can lead to weight gain or deficiencies in nutrients.

 EXPRESS Calorie burning tips

Alongside fruit Dr Mosley recommended as an alternative, dieters can opt for unsalted nuts or vegetables when looking for a healthy snack.

The NHS recommends the average healthy adult consumes at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day.

But while rapid weight loss is not easy, one of the expert's top tips is to "stay accountable".

"All the weight loss studies show that the people who keep it off are accountable to someone or something," he said. 

Reference: Daily Express: Jessica Williams 

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'I screamed every time I moved' Mother's 'incurable' cancer misdiagnosed as muscle pain

This Myeloma Awareness Week, charity Myeloma UK are urging individuals to "trust your instincts" and seek advice from their GP if they feel that something isn't right. This is due to the shocking statistics that one in four people wait more than 10 months for a myeloma diagnosis - some of the longest delays out of any cancer in the UK.Sharing her story with Express.co.uk, 57-year-old June from Birmingham explained that her blood cancer was missed for a whopping six months, despite being bedridden for two weeks and being reduced to crawling on her hands and knees.

By the time June was finally diagnosed with myeloma she had a collapsed vertebra, with numerous tumours pressing on her back and between her shoulder blades.

Having been in an extreme amount of pain with her spine essentially broken, June was only prescribed painkillers and told that she had most likely pulled a muscle. However, even with the help of painkillers, June's back spasms worsened.

"I was crying and saying to myself, 'What's happening to me?'," recalled June, who lives in Edgbaston and is a mother to three.

"It was the worst experience you could feel. I had to crawl to the toilet. It was unbelievable. It was not normal spasms; it was something pulling deep inside my bones. It was like a bike chain coming out of sync.

"Every time I moved something jerked. I've had three children and I'd rather go through that again than feel that pain."

Having gone back to her doctor three months later after painkillers failed to work, June was given an X-ray after which she was told she had a back defect that was most likely a result of a birth defect. Once again a wrong diagnosis.

She added: "I used to walk to work and back but when it all started I felt like my legs were in front of my body and I was being left behind - it was weird.

"It didn't really feel right, but I didn't think much of it. But then it got worse and worse. I was in agony."

One fateful day June collapsed in her bedroom and was rushed to A&E only to be sent home with painkillers once again. It was at this point that she was left bedridden for two weeks, unable to stand.

"My brother Dave came to visit me and he said to me, 'June you need to go to the hospital, there's something seriously wrong'," explained June.

"But I was scared to move because I didn't want to feel more pain. I couldn't get out of bed because of the spasms. I screamed every time I moved. I can't describe the pain... I was taking quite strong painkillers. After a while it didn't do anything, it wasn't numbing the pain."

With the family at the end of their tethers, June was taken back to A&E where an MRI finally revealed that she had a broken spine and plasmacytomas (tumours), on her back and shoulder blades. Unbeknown to June at the time, all of these complications were caused by incurable myeloma.

June Davis June Davis

Recalling how she felt about her diagnosis, June shared: "When they told me it was myeloma, I had no idea what it was. I had never heard of it.

"It's changed me as a person. I am on an up and down rollercoaster. I have good days and bad days. I was active but I had to give up work and my social contacts with people as I'm not working and see less people."

June is keen to emphasise that if her myeloma was caught earlier it would have spared her months of unnecessary pain and potentially avoidable complications. She finished by saying: "A simple blood test in the beginning would have shown straight away what was wrong with me and I wouldn't have gone through what I went through and had as much damage done to my body. I just want people to be more aware of myeloma. People shouldn't go through this much pain."

Other than back pain, Cancer Research UK explains that the main signs and symptoms of myeloma to be aware of include the following:

• Bone pain - often in your back, hips, shoulders or ribs
• tiredness (fatigue), shortness of breath and weakness which are all symptoms of anaemia
• lots of infections or infections that don't go away
• Feeling sick (nausea) and loss of appetite
• Spinal cord compression - myeloma can cause fractures of the bones including in the spine this can cause pressure on the spine
• Feeling thirsty, passing urine more frequently, confusion and drowsiness - these are all symptoms of high calcium levels in the blood.

Getty Back pain

Myeloma kills 3,000 people each year in the UK and has already seen the second biggest fall in diagnoses since March 2020. Confirmed cases in England are down by 13 percent compared with pre-COVID-19 expectations. Overall, this translates to more than 500 fewer people diagnosed with myeloma in England than would usually be expected.

Due to this it is little surprise that 50 percent of all myeloma patients receive a delayed diagnosis while 34 percent of patients with a delayed diagnosis are left with broken spines. In addition, on average patients visit their GP at least three times before getting a diagnosis.

In light of June's story and this Myeloma Awareness Week, Myeloma UK Chief Executive Dr Sophie Castell shared: "If you take one thing away this Myeloma Awareness Week, it should be this:trust your gut. If you're not feeling yourself, have persistent and unexplained back pain, severe fatigue or repeated infections you simply can't shake, I would encourage you to visit your GP.

"The symptoms of myeloma are vague and can often seem unrelated or appear at different times, so if you think there's more to it than run-of-the-mill tiredness, a pulled muscle or old age - and if your symptoms just aren't going away - please keep pushing or ask for a second opinion. It might take more than one appointment for your doctor to put the pieces of the puzzle together."

Reference: Mental Health: Lauren Russell