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A young man residing in New York State has tested positive for poliomyelitis. According to the health authorities who communicated Thursday on this information, it is the first case for almost a decade in the United States.
An American, not vaccinated against polio, contracted poliomyelitis, announced this Thursday, July 23, the health authorities of the State of New York. It would be a young man residing in Rockland County, 48 kilometers north of Manhattan.
According to the statement, his case indicates “a chain of transmission from an individual who received the oral polio vaccine (OPV)”. A vaccine no longer used in the United States since 2000.
This would indicate that the origin of the virus could come from a foreign country. A worrying fact because according to the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC), the last case of polio dates back to 2013.
A disease that has practically disappeared in the world
Poliomyelitis is a highly infectious viral disease that largely affects children under the age of 5. Quite serious, this disease can lead to permanent paralysis.
Up to 95% of people infected with poliomyelitis have no symptoms, but they can still spread the virus. About 4-5% of infected people experience minor symptoms such as fever, muscle weakness, headache, nausea and vomiting. 1-2% of people with severe muscle pain and stiffness in the neck and back. Less than one percent of polio infections result in paralysis.
It is transmitted by the faecal-oral route, when water is not properly treated, for example. It practically no longer exists in the world. Cases have fallen by 99% since 1988, when polio was still endemic in 125 countries and 350,000 cases were recorded.
In 1988, the World Health Organization launched numerous initiatives to eradicate poliomyelitis. If this objective is not fully achieved, this disease has already strongly regressed thanks to numerous vaccination campaigns. In France, the vaccine has been compulsory since 1964.
The health authorities aware of the danger
In the United States, contamination declined sharply in the late 1950s and early 1960s with the development of a vaccine. The last natural infection in the United States dates back to 1979 and the last case detected in 2013.
In Rockland County, officials have offered polio vaccinations for those who are unvaccinated and at risk of contracting the disease. “The Rockland County Health Department works with our local health system and community leaders to educate the public and make polio vaccination available. We are monitoring the situation closely and working with the New York State Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to respond to this emerging public health issue to protect the health and well-being of residents. County”said Dr. Patricia Schnabel Ruppert, Rockland County Health Commissioner.
“Many of you may be too young to remember polio, but when I was growing up, this disease struck terror into families, including mine. The fact that it’s still around decades after the vaccine was created shows you just how relentless this virus is. Do the right thing for your child and the greater good of your community and get your child vaccinated now“said County Executive Ed Day.
Last June, polio was detected in sewage samples in London, but no cases were found, authorities said.