Key questions for Kenton councillors over Brent Council's action on polio virus

 

COPY OF EMAIL SENT TO THE 3 KENTON WARD COUNCILLORS – WEDNESDAY 17^TH AUGUST 2022 –

 

Wednesday 17^th August 2022.

 

Dear Kenton Ward Councillors,

 

Re: Cllr.Neil Nerva’s email to all Brent Councillors and the UKHSA Press Release

 

As I am sure you are aware I have been raising serious concerns about the presence of untreated raw human sewage seen floating in the Wealdstone Brook as it flows through the open access areas of Woodcock Park here in the Kenton Ward of Brent for some months now.

 

The latest press release from the UK Health Security Agency included in Cllr Neil Nerva’s email to all Brent Councillors dated Monday 10^th August 2022 includes reference to the detection of the polio virus in Brent waterways along with the detection of this virus in 7 other north London Boroughs connected in some way or the other with the Beckton Sewage Works in east London.

 

Councillors are being urged by Cllr Nerva and indeed the UK HSA along with health professionals in the areas concerned to promote the polio booster vaccination programme for children aged one to nine.

 

My questions to you as my Kenton Ward Councillors included in the email from Cllr.Nerva are;

 

1.    From which waterways in Brent were samples taken that indicated the presence of the polio virus?

2.    What measures are Brent Council putting in place to secure those waterways to help prevent access and reduce the potential for infection?

3.    Will samples of the water flowing in the Wealdstone Brook be included in the analysis being undertaken by the UKHSA and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)? And will these samples include both the water flowing in Brent as well as in Harrow?

4.    Given that in the UK HSA Press Release dated 10^th August there is the following statement; 

 

“ The level of poliovirus found and high genetic diversity among the PV2 isolates suggest that there is some level of virus transmission in these boroughs which may extend to adjacent areas. This suggests that transmission has gone beyond a close network of a few individuals.”

 

what immediate measures are Brent Council taking to monitor whether there is any indication of any individual in Brent showing potential signs of infection from the polio virus?

 

Our recent understanding and experiences from the Covid-19 virus pandemic would surely be enough to set alarm bells ringing amongst Brent Councillors and Brent Council Officers, that action in dealing with this polio virus outbreak has to be top priority for the health and safety of Brent residents.

 

Yours sincerely

 

John Poole,

(Kenton address supplied)