Polio detected in New York sewers prompts urgent warning to get vaccinated
Polio was found in wastewater outside New York City, a month before officials said it was the first confirmed U.S. case in nearly a decade.
Key Point:
- Authorities have opened a vaccine clinic in New York to help unvaccinated residents
- Officials say the presence of the virus in wastewater indicates that more people within the community may be shedding the virus.
- No new polio cases confirmed since diagnosis last month
State health officials said the virus was found in wastewater samples collected in June.
a A young adult in Rockland County developed paralysis, was diagnosed last monthIt was the first polio case detected in the United States since 2013.
Officials urged residents to make sure they were vaccinated.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in a statement that the presence of the virus in wastewater indicates that there may be more people within the community shedding the virus in their faeces. .
However, the CDC added that no new cases have been confirmed and it is not yet clear whether the virus is spreading actively in New York or elsewhere in the United States.
Laboratory tests confirmed that the patient was genetically related to the strain found in Israel, but that did not mean the patient had traveled to Israel, the official added. rice field.
Gene sequencing also linked it to a sample of a highly contagious and life-threatening virus from the UK.
According to The New York Times, the patient began showing symptoms in June when local authorities asked doctors to take note of the case.
“Given how quickly polio spreads, now is the time for all adults, parents and caregivers to vaccinate themselves and their children as soon as possible,” said State Health Commissioner Mary Bassett. .
The New York State Department of Health was unable to conclude with certainty whether the polio-positive samples came from the cases identified in Rockland County based on the available evidence.
“Certainly, the identification of such samples raises concerns about the potential for community spread. Therefore, those who have not been vaccinated, especially in the Rockland County area, should be vaccinated as soon as possible.” It’s very important,” said the department.
A vaccine clinic was opened in New York to help unvaccinated residents get vaccinated.
What is polio? How does the polio vaccine work?
Polio is a virus that can cause paralysis and is transmitted by contaminated water, food, or hands that come in contact with the faeces or throat secretions of an infected person.
The virus is often asymptomatic and can be transmitted without appearing sick.
There is no cure, and in some cases it can cause irreversible paralysis, but it is preventable with a vaccine that became available in 1955.
Inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) is the only polio vaccine administered in the United States since 2000, according to the CDC. It is administered through a needle in the leg or arm, depending on the patient’s age.
It is also the only vaccine available in Australia.
Made from inactivated or “killed” polio vaccine, it provides immunity against all types of poliovirus.
However, mild flu-like symptoms may occur and may take up to 30 days.
Although it can occur at any age, most affected are children under the age of three.
Developed by Jonas Salk in the 1950s, the polio vaccine was heralded as a scientific achievement to tackle a global scourge that is now largely eradicated.
ABC/Reuters
Polio detected in New York sewers prompts urgent warning to get vaccinated
Source link Polio detected in New York sewers prompts urgent warning to get vaccinated
