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This is an environmental detection – not a confirmed case of polio. The risk to the community remains very low, and Australia remains polio-free.
The detection shows Australia’s surveillance systems are working as they should – picking up an early signal so health authorities can investigate quickly and take proportionate action.
The virus detected is a circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2. This can occur in parts of the world where the oral polio vaccine is still used. Australia does not use the oral polio vaccine.
In Australia, children are vaccinated using the inactivated poliovirus vaccine, which is safe, highly effective and cannot cause vaccine-derived poliovirus. Around 93% of Australian children aged 5 years are fully vaccinated against polio.
What is happening now
The Australian CDC is working with Western Australia to undertake follow-up weekly wastewater testing and check for any related clinical or surveillance signals.
Established preparedness plans mean health authorities are well placed to manage this swiftly, including drawing on national polio expertise where needed.
This rapid, proportionate response helps maintain Australia’s polio-free status, which has been in place since 2000.
Risk to the community
Based on current information, the risk to the community is very low.
There are no confirmed cases of polio in Australia. High vaccination coverage provides strong protection and helps prevent the virus from spreading.
What you should do
Our public health advice remains the same: make sure you and your children are up to date with routine vaccinations.
Vaccination is the only way to protect against polio. It protects individuals and helps prevent the virus from spreading in the community.
The polio combination vaccine is free under the National Immunisation Program for children aged 2 months, 4 months, 6 months and 4 years. Eligible people under 20 years old, as well as refugees and other humanitarian entrants of any age, can get a free catch-up vaccination.
The injectable inactivated polio vaccine used in Australia protects against all types of poliovirus and cannot mutate into vaccine-derived poliovirus.
If you are unsure about your vaccination status, speak with your healthcare professional.
What happens next
Health authorities will continue to monitor and assess the situation.
Updates will be provided if:
- further detections occur
- strain testing changes the risk assessment
- there is a suspected or confirmed case
- public health advice changes.
Types of poliovirus
There are different types of poliovirus:
- Wild poliovirus type 1 is still endemic in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
- Wild poliovirus type 2 and wild poliovirus type 3 have been eradicated worldwide, but vaccine-derived outbreaks continue to occur.
- Vaccine-derived polioviruses are rare strains that have genetically changed from the weakened live virus used in oral polio vaccine. Oral polio vaccine is not used in Australia.
Learn more
Read our media release or find out more about polio and polio vaccination.