A case of polio outside New York City has been identified and confirmed by federal health officials, the New York State Department of Health said Thursday in what would be the first known case of the disease in the country. in at least 30 years.
Tests suggested that Rockland County’s case of the highly contagious virus may have originated outside the United States, the department said in a statement.
“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 of the county,” Rockland County Health Commissioner Patricia Schnabel. Ruppert said in a statement.
Read more: ‘These diseases are now vaccine preventable’: The parallels between polio and COVID-19
The CDC, which confirmed the case, said no case of polio has originated in the US since 1979. However, the virus has been brought into the country by travelers with polio. The last time that happened was in 1993, he said.
Trending stories
-
Micrometeoroid causes ‘irreparable’ damage to James Webb Space Telescope
-
Heat advisories for parts of Canada as temperatures are expected to top 30C
Story continues below ad
Symptoms of polio include flu-like symptoms such as sore throat, fever, tiredness and nausea, the CDC said.
6:19 NS Woman shares her experience of living with post-polio syndrome NS Woman shares her experience of living with post-polio syndrome – May 19, 2021
Poliomyelitis invades the nervous system and can cause irreversible paralysis within hours. It cannot be cured, but the infection can be prevented by vaccination, and a dramatic reduction in cases worldwide in recent decades has been due to intensive national and regional immunization campaigns in infants and children.
Read more: A polio disaster helped shape vaccine safety. Here’s why this is important for the coronavirus
In the late 1940s, before polio vaccines were available, outbreaks of the virus disabled about 35,000 Americans each year, especially children and those living in areas with poor sanitation.
In June, polio was detected in sewage samples in London, the first sign since the 1980s that the virus might be spreading in England, but no cases have been found, authorities said.