Health authorities warn that poliovirus, which causes paralytic polio, probably spreads in New York City due to the virus detection in the city's wastewater.
Polio is a highly contagious viral illness that can cause death in some cases and lifelong paralysis of the limbs and legs. Authorities recently stated that paralytic polio was detected in a resident of Rockland County, New York.
Similar viruses have also been found in wastewater samples from Orange County and other nearby New York City-area locations collected in May, June, and July. Orange and Rockland counties might have lower rates of children getting vaccinated.
Unvaccinated persons are at risk of the virus spreading, but the current vaccine offers at least 99% protection against serious illness after three doses.
According to NPR, children who are too young to receive all of the recommended vaccinations are also at risk, as are children whose parents have chosen not to inoculate them or have delayed getting them the doses.
Health authorities warn that polio found in New York City's wastewater could be an early sign of paralytic polio cases to come.
Massive Vaccine Campaign Needed
Dr. Jay Varma, an epidemiologist and former deputy municipal health commissioner, noted there is a high possibility that New York City will record "one or more cases" without "a relatively massive vaccine drive."
As pediatrician visits got delayed and the dissemination of false information about vaccines escalated during the epidemic, the immunization rate across the city dropped. Health officials were concerned about some neighborhoods' low immunization rates for a variety of preventable illnesses even before Covid arrived.
Although effective at preventing paralysis, the vaccine used in the United States in recent decades is less effective at limiting transmission. Vaccinated individuals may still carry and shed the virus, even if they do not experience infection or symptoms.
That, epidemiologists say, may mean the virus will be difficult to eradicate quickly, further underscoring why vaccination is so critical for protection, a state Health Department spokeswoman said.
What Are the Signs of Polio?
Many polio patients may not experience any symptoms, although some may experience fever or nausea. Hence, infectious diseases expert Dr. Bernard Camins, medical director of infection prevention for the Mount Sinai Health System, urged physicians to be vigilant for these signs and to consider requesting polio tests for patients who are not fully immunized, per the New York Times.
The poliovirus, an enterovirus that may infect the nervous system, is what causes polio, which is short for poliomyelitis. The symptoms can range from flu-like ones (sore throat, fever, and exhaustion) to more serious spinal cord infections that can result in meningitis and even paralysis.
The virus spreads most when people don't wash their hands after using the restroom, as it reproduces primarily in the intestines. At least to the unvaccinated, polio is highly contagious, especially in communities with poor water supply and sanitation, according to a report from Vox.
According to Dr. Ashwin Vasan, the health commissioner for New York City, the risk of polio infection to New Yorkers is significant, but getting vaccinated can protect an individual.
Dr. Vasan noted: "With polio circulating in our communities there is simply nothing more essential than vaccinating our children to protect them from this virus, and if you're unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated adult, please choose now to get the vaccine. Polio is entirely preventable, and its reappearance should be a call to action for all of us."
Since 2000, the United States has solely administered the inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Giving the full four recommended doses protects 99% of children.
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