Polio has been eradicated in the UK in recent years after the deadly illness wreaked havoc in the 1950s.
But it has been discovered in several sewage samples collected from the London Beckton Sewage Treatment Works between February and May of this year.
Health officials in London have also started an emergency vaccination campaign among children as they try to prevent an outbreak of the virus.
So far no cases of polio paralysis have been detected, but what is the disease? And what happened last time there was a polio epidemic in the UK?
What is polio?
Polio is a life-threatening disease caused by the poliovirus.
Symptoms of polio include a high temperature, extreme fatigue, headaches, vomiting, neck stiffness and muscle pain.
In extreme cases, polio can cause paralysis, usually in the legs, although movement typically comes back within a few weeks or months.
But it can be life-threatening if it paralyses the muscles needed for breathing.
It mainly affects children under the age of 5, although it can also hit unvaccinated adults.
It has caused death or life-long paralysis in the past.
Where is polio found?
Polio is extremely rare now due to the success of the polio vaccine. It is primarily found in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
How does polio spread?
Polio spreads through bodily fluids. An infected person can spread it by coughing or sneezing. People can also catch it by coming into contact with the faeces of an infected person.
When were the last polio epidemics in the UK?
During the early 1950s the UK was rocked by polio epidemics, with as many as 8,000 people suffering paralytic poliomyelitis.
The epidemics ended with the introduction of the oral polio vaccine in 1962.
The last case of polio in the UK was in 1984 and it was was officially eradicated in the UK in 2003.
Are we vaccinated and how long does protection last?
The polio vaccine lasts 10 years. After this time, people need a booster vaccination.
The vaccine is injected into a person’s upper arm, with mild side effects reported afterwards.
What is an iron lung?
An iron lung is a respirator that stimulates breathing by enclosing a person’s body and varying the air pressure inside.
They are typically considered obsolete due to the invention of new breathing techniques and the eradication of polio.
Who is the man in the iron lung?
Paul Alexander contracted polio at the age of six in Texas in 1952. He was kept alive with the use of an iron lung.
Mr Alexander is still alive today at the age of 76 after living in an iron lung for 70 years.
Polio in Britain through the years - in pictures
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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if you go
The five pillars of Islam
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
The specs
Engine: 8.0-litre, quad-turbo 16-cylinder
Transmission: 7-speed auto
0-100kmh 2.3 seconds
0-200kmh 5.5 seconds
0-300kmh 11.6 seconds
Power: 1500hp
Torque: 1600Nm
Price: Dh13,400,000
On sale: now
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The%20specs
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Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20NOTHING%20PHONE%20(2A)
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The specs: 2018 Nissan Altima
Price, base / as tested: Dh78,000 / Dh97,650
Engine: 2.5-litre in-line four-cylinder
Power: 182hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 244Nm @ 4,000rpm
Transmission: Continuously variable tranmission
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.6L / 100km
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The specs
Engine: 4 liquid-cooled permanent magnet synchronous electric motors placed at each wheel
Battery: Rimac 120kWh Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (LiNiMnCoO2) chemistry
Power: 1877bhp
Torque: 2300Nm
Price: Dh7,500,00
On sale: Now
Read more from Kareem Shaheen
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
