Germany has reversed its planned cuts to global polio funding after wild poliovirus was unexpectedly detected in Hamburg’s wastewater, marking the first such finding in Europe since 2010. Lawmakers restored support to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative by adding €4 million, bringing Germany’s 2026 contribution to €23 million. Genetic analysis shows that the virus found in Hamburg is linked to the strain circulating in Afghanistan, one of the only two countries where wild polio remains endemic, the other being Pakistan. Experts noted that this detection reflects a well-functioning wastewater surveillance system.
No infections have been reported in Germany, and strong vaccination coverage keeps the domestic risk very low. Globally, reintroductions of wild polio still occur. Even regions considered free of the virus have seen it return. In 2022, Malawi and Mozambique experienced…
