Poliovirus Found in New York City Wastewater Samples

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Health officials are sounding the alarm as poliovirus has been found in wastewater samples from New York City, indicating potential circulation of the virus. Residents in the greater NYC area are being urged to ensure they are up to date on their polio vaccinations due to the virus’s serious effects, which can include irreversible paralysis and death. This warning follows the discovery of a paralytic polio case in a resident of Rockland County on July 21, and earlier detections in sewage samples from Rockland and Orange counties during May, June, and July.

While the majority of the U.S. population is vaccinated against polio, there remains a subset of individuals who are either unvaccinated or under-vaccinated, leaving them at risk. Most vaccinated individuals will experience no symptoms, or only mild flu-like signs such as sore throat, fever, fatigue, and nausea.

Dr. Emily Carter, the State Health Commissioner, remarked that the discovery of poliovirus in wastewater is “concerning, but not unexpected.” She emphasized that for every confirmed case of paralytic polio, there are likely hundreds of undetected infections. Dr. Jason Lee, City Health Commissioner, stressed the importance of vaccinating children against this virus, urging unvaccinated or inadequately vaccinated adults to get vaccinated as well.

Since 2019, routine vaccination rates among children have declined, with only 86.2% of children aged six months to five years in NYC receiving three doses of the polio vaccine, leaving 14% without full protection. In a related note, authorities in London have begun offering booster doses of the polio vaccine to young children following similar findings of the virus in the area. Fortunately, no cases of the paralytic disease have been reported in the population there.

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In summary, the detection of poliovirus in NYC’s wastewater highlights an urgent public health concern, with officials urging vaccinations to safeguard against the virus. Most individuals remain asymptomatic, but the presence of the virus calls for immediate action, particularly among those who are unvaccinated.