Polio in Spain

On 6 November 2024 at the fortieth meeting of the Emergency Committee under the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR) on the international spread of poliovirus, the World Health Organization reported new emergence of poliovirus in Spain.

The Public Health Agency of Catalonia published a news item advising a sewage sample from the Besòs Wastewater Treatment Plant in the Barcelona metropolitan area, Catalonia tested positive for polio in September 2024. Further investigations are ongoing.

Advice for Travellers

Poliomyelitis is spread mainly through person to person contact via the faecal-oral route.

• All travellers should take care with personal and food and water hygiene.

Travellers visiting outbreak areas should be offered a booster dose of poliomyelitis vaccine if it has been more than 10 years since their last dose, and:

• may have close contact with those infected (e.g. carers, health care workers)
• at high occupational risk (e.g., laboratory workers, wastewater / sewage workers)
• travelling long term (> 4 weeks)

Further information on the disease can be found on the Poliomyelitis page.

For further information see the TRAVAX Spain country page and Poliomyelitis page.