Polio outbreak

The poliovirus has been found in environmental samples, meaning it was detected in wastewater at two environmental sampling sites, Lae and Port Moresby. The virus has also been detected in the stool samples of two healthy children in Lae. These samples were taken from children in the catchment area of the environmental sampling site that tested positive for poliovirus. This means the country is experiencing a polio outbreak. The poliovirus detected in PNG is closely related to a poliovirus circulating in Indonesia since 2022, highlighting cross-border risks.