The polio virus has been found in the sewers of New York City, but officials stress that the highest risk is to people who have not been vaccinated.
Polio was once one of the nation’s most feared diseases, with annual outbreaks causing thousands of cases of paralysis. Its elimination in the US, officially announced in 1979, is considered one of the nation’s greatest public health victories. Yet since then, cases have occasionally emerged, often among people who have traveled to other countries.
A recently unvaccinated young adult in upstate New York contracted polio. On Friday, health officials in the country’s largest city said they had detected the virus in sewage samples, suggesting it was spreading among the unvaccinated.
Here are some details about polio and the vaccine:
HOW IS POLIO SPREAD?
Polio is considered highly contagious and is spread primarily from person to person, through contaminated water and through fecal particles.
Health officials say the virus can also be spread through droplets from an infected person’s cough or sneeze, although this is less common.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS?
Most infected have no visible symptoms. About a quarter will endure several days of flu-like symptoms, such as fever, sore throat, headache and nausea.
However, a small number of people may develop a more serious illness. The virus can infect a person’s spinal cord, causing paralysis and possibly permanent disability and death.
AREN’T MOST AMERICANS VACCINATED AGAINST POLIO?
Yes
Children in the US are still routinely vaccinated against polio, and the vaccines are considered very effective. Federal officials recommend four doses: given at 2 months of age; Four months; from 6 to 18 months; and aged 4 to 6 years. Some states require only three doses.
According to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 93% of 2-year-olds have received at least three doses of the polio vaccine.
IF I HAVE BEEN VACCINATED AGAINST POLIO, DO I HAVE TO DO ANYTHING?
For most people, no.
Adults who were fully vaccinated as children have protective antibodies in their blood for decades, according to the CDC. In a national survey of adults aged 40-49 about a decade ago, about 90% had protective antibodies against the virus.
However, health officials have previously recommended boosters in some cases, such as for adults who are at increased risk of exposure to the polio virus due to travel or work.
WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I AM NOT VACCINATED?
Health officials are recommending that unvaccinated people be injected. Clinics have been set up in New York to provide the vaccines.
People who are unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated are at greatest risk of paralysis from polio. The man in Rockland County who was diagnosed with paralytic polio was not vaccinated.
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The Associated Press Health and Science Division is supported by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Science Education Division. AP is solely responsible for all content.
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