Polio virus detected in New York sewage “suggesting that the virus is probably circulating locally”City health authorities warned on Friday, urging residents to get vaccinated if they haven’t already.
“Polio Virus Detection in New York City Sewage Samples Disturbing, But Not Surprising”Mary Bassett, a state health official, said in a statement.
In mid-July, a case of polio was recorded in Rockland County, a few tens of kilometers north of Manhattan. It was the first case of polio in the country in nearly a decade.
Traces of the virus had by then already been found in the wastewater of this county and another neighboring county.
For each case of disease identified, “several hundred could go unnoticed”, Mary Bassett warned. Those people who don’t develop symptoms can still pass the disease on.
Polio, a highly contagious viral disease that particularly affects children, can cause permanent paralysis of the limbs and in some cases even death.
“The risk for New Yorkers is real, but defending yourself is so simple: get vaccinated against polio”called Ashwin Vasan, health officer at the town hall.
Only 86% of New York City children between the ages of 6 months and 5 years have received three doses of the vaccine, according to a statement from the authorities, about 14% of them are not fully protected.
A free or low-cost vaccination site has been established for children.
Experts from the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) have been sent to the state to help with screening and vaccination operations.
“The consequences of polio are devastating and irreversible and these latest developments are cause for concern”wrote the CDC.
The disease has been virtually eradicated all over the world. But in June, British authorities announced they had detected traces of a form of polio at a wastewater treatment plant in north-east London. Children’s vaccination was strengthened there.
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