Health

Polio could have been circulating in New York as early as April


A report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) may have circulated in New York as early as April, and the virus has been detected in wastewater samples more than 20 times.

The agency released its first investigative report into the potential polio outbreak on Tuesday. The investigation comes in response to a confirmed case of polio in a man in his 20s in Rockland County, just outside New York City, in June. Officials are concerned that there could be hundreds – if not thousands – of undiagnosed cases in the state.

While cases of infection from the United States are rare, the infected man had no recent travel abroad and attended a large gathering eight days before the onset of symptoms. mine. It’s likely he caught the virus in the state. The man was paralyzed and had to be hospitalized. He is currently recovering at home.

The CDC reports that the virus was detected in wastewater samples in Rockland and nearby Orange County 20 times in samples collected in May, June, and July. A single sample from Orange County in April also contained incomplete polio sequencing, likely indicating the virus was present four months ago.

Both Rockland and Orange counties have low immunization rates – only 60 percent of people are vaccinated by their second birthday, well below the 95 percent threshold set by the World Health Organization (WHO). The CDC deployed a team to Rockland last week to investigate and assist with vaccine rollout to unvaccinated people in the community.

Officials assure the public that a vaccinated person has little to worry about in the current outbreak. More than 90 percent of Americans are immunized before their second birthday — and many have had to get vaccinated to go to public school. There is no booster vaccine for polio, and vaccination during infancy provides protection for a person’s entire life.

The CDC reports that a Rockland County man confirmed to be infected with polio has not traveled outside of the United States for a period of 7 to 21 days where symptoms typically appear.  However, he attended a local meeting eight days before the onset of symptoms

The CDC reports that a Rockland County man confirmed to be infected with polio has not traveled outside of the United States for a period of 7 to 21 days where symptoms typically appear.  However, he attended a local meeting eight days before the onset of symptoms

The CDC reports that a Rockland County man confirmed to be infected with polio has not traveled outside of the United States for a period of 7 to 21 days where symptoms typically appear. However, he attended a local meeting eight days before the onset of symptoms

Polio has been detected in wastewater from New York City, Rockland County, and Orange County in New York.  While there was only one confirmed case, sampling detected the virus more than 20 times

Polio has been detected in wastewater from New York City, Rockland County, and Orange County in New York.  While there was only one confirmed case, sampling detected the virus more than 20 times

Polio has been detected in wastewater from New York City, Rockland County, and Orange County in New York. While there was only one confirmed case, sampling detected the virus more than 20 times

The CDC wrote in its report: ‘The occurrence of this case, combined with the identification of poliovirus in wastewater in neighboring Orange County, underscores the importance of maintaining high vaccination rates to prevent polio in people of all ages’.

The infected man initially developed a fever, stiff neck, stomach problems, and weakness in his limbs.

He was hospitalized, and a stool sample later confirmed that he had a case of vaccine-derived polio.

This form of the virus comes from the oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV). Vaccines provide people with a live version of the virus. While the body will normally destroy the antibodies that make the virus – in rare cases, the recipient will become infected.

OPV is no longer used in the United States, and has instead been replaced with inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) given by injection.

However, some developing countries still use OPV because it is easier to access and activate antibodies faster than IPV.

Officials have yet to determine how the man was exposed to vaccine-induced polio.

People infected with polio usually take seven to 21 days to feel symptoms. The man did not travel outside the country during that time.

However, he attended a large gathering about eight days before the onset of symptoms, which officials speculate may have led to exposure.

The CDC warns that only about one in 1,900 polio infections in unvaccinated people will result in polio – meaning there are thousands of undiagnosed cases in local communities.

Common symptoms of polio include a high temperature, extreme fatigue, headache, vomiting, stiff neck, and muscle aches.

Common symptoms of polio include a high temperature, extreme fatigue, headache, vomiting, stiff neck, and muscle aches.

Common symptoms of polio include a high temperature, extreme fatigue, headache, vomiting, stiff neck, and muscle aches.

“Based on previous polio outbreaks, New Yorkers should know that for every one case of polio observed, there could be hundreds of others infected,” said Dr. Mary Bassett, commissioner. state health officer said last week.

A local Rockland official warned the actual case count in the Empire State could be in the thousands.

‘It’s not just a case of paralysis if you see a case of paralysis. The incidence of polio is less than one per cent,’ Dr Patricia Schnabel Ruppert, the Rockland County health commissioner, told the BBC.

‘Most cases are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms, and those symptoms are often overlooked.

‘So there are hundreds, perhaps even thousands of cases that have happened for us to see a case of paralysis.’

Following the discovery of this first case, CDC conducted virus surveillance in Rockland County and other local communities.

Sewage samples were collected by local officials as part of their COVID-19 surveillance, allowing the agency to trace back for older traces of the virus.

The CDC says that for every 1,900 cases of polio in an unvaccinated person, only one has symptoms of paralysis (file image)

The CDC says that for every 1,900 cases of polio in an unvaccinated person, only one will have symptoms of paralysis (file image)

The CDC says that for every 1,900 cases of polio in an unvaccinated person, only one has symptoms of paralysis (file image)

A total of 260 samples from Rockland and Orange counties were examined. Of that group, 13 samples from Rockland and 8 samples from Orange were found to have traces of the virus.

An Orange seed sample from April has an incomplete virus sequence. This means that it may, or may not, be related to the Rockland County case.

In the time since concluding this report on August 10, New York City officials have confirmed the discovery of polio also during wastewater monitoring.

“The risk to New Yorkers is real but prevention is simple – get polio vaccine,” said Dr. Ashwin Vasan, the City’s health commissioner.

‘With polio circulating in our community, nothing is more essential than immunizing our children to protect them from this virus, and if you are an unvaccinated adult or incomplete vaccination, please choose now to immunize.

‘polio is completely preventable and its reappearance should be a call to action for all of us.’

New York City has a vaccination rate of 86 percent. While better than Rockland and Orange counties, it still falls short of the 95% threshold set by WHO.

Source: | This article originally belonged to Dailymail.co.uk



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