Multiple African-origin circulating poliovirus-2 emergences identified in Israel: A reminder of an ongoing global...

Vaccine-derived polio virus (VDPV) strains can lead to acute flaccid paralysis (AFP), posing a significant challenge to public health and the eradication of poliovirus. In early 2025, two distinct cVDPV2 strains were identified in wastewater samples from separate regions in Israel as part of ongoing poliovirus environmental surveillance. Each strain was genetically linked to different African-origin emergences actively circulating in Africa. The first strain, detected in January in central Israel, was linked to the NIE-ZAS-1 emergence, while the second strain, identified one month later in Jerusalem, was genetically related to the SUD-RED-1 emergence. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and phylogenetic analyses revealed unique mutation patterns and recombination events, contributing valuable data for tracking further international detections of these strains. These events underscore the global risk of poliovirus importation and highlight the critical role of environmental surveillance in early detection.