Polio in Spain
16 Dec 2024
On 6 November 2024, the World Health Organization reported poliovirus (polio) has been detected in Spain.
The Public Health Agency of Catalonia published a news item (in Spanish) advising that a sewage sample from a Wastewater Treatment Plant in the Barcelona metropolitan area, Catalonia had tested positive for polio in September 2024. Further investigations are ongoing.
Advice for Travellers
Polio is a serious infection caused by the poliovirus. The virus lives in an infected person’s throat and intestines. It enters the body through the mouth and spreads through:
- contact with the poo from an infected person
- droplets from a cough or sneeze from an infected person, this is less common
You can become infected if you:
- have poo on your hands and you touch your mouth
- put objects in your mouth that are contaminated with the infected poo
- consume food and water that has been contaminated with the poo from an infected person
It is important to:
- be up to date with polio vaccinations as recommended for the UK vaccination schedule
- practice safe hand hygiene and food and water precautions during travel to reduce your risk of exposure to polio
If you are travelling to a country or area where polio remains a problem, you may need a booster dose of polio vaccine if it has been more than 10 years since your last booster.
- Please speak to a travel health professional to discuss.
For further information see the fitfortravel Spain country page and Poliomyelitis page.