First Polio Case in the US Since 2013 Has Been Detected in New York

A person from Rockland County, New York, has been diagnosed with polio and was confirmed by the New York State Health Department to be the first case identified in the US in nearly a decade.

According to the sequencing result, the polio strain of the newly identified case was confirmed as a revertant polio Sabin type 2 virus, indicating that it was derived from someone who received the oral polio vaccine, which contains a live but weakened polio virus. Therefore, the virus is highly possible to have originated outside the US, as the inactivated vaccine is the only authorized polio vaccine in the US since 2000.

Related article: WHO Sounds Monkeypox Alarm as Cases Continue Rising Worldwide

What Makes Polio a Virus of Concern

The highly infectious disease is spread mainly through fecal-oral transmission, or direct contact with droplets from sneeze or cough of an infected person, which is a less common route.

According to the CDC, 1 out of 4 people infected will develop flu-like symptoms, including sore throat, fever, headache, and tiredness. These symptoms usually last for a few days, then go away on their own. However, some might develop serious symptoms such as meningitis and paralysis, which affect the central nervous system, and are known to be irreversible. This might be life-threatening if the muscles for breathing are paralyzed too.

There is no way to cure polio, and some of the symptoms cause a lifelong impact. Infected individuals, especially children or young adults, might suffer Post-Polio Syndrome (OPHPR). Restricted body movements, or even becoming wheelchair-bound due to the permanent scarring of muscle fibers. 

Urgent Need for Vaccination

“We strongly advise anyone who’s unvaccinated to get vaccinated,” said Rockland County Health Commissioner Ruppert Schnabel.

The polio vaccine is part of the CDC’s standard immunization schedule, and those who are vaccinated are free from infection. Local polio cases had been successfully eradicated in 1979, while all the subsequent cases originated abroad. However, disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic might cause the “largest sustained decline in childhood vaccinations in approximately 30 years,” warned the United Nations and the World Health Organization last week. 

The individual is not expected to be contagious right now, however, others might be at risk of previous exposure. Last month, poliovirus was also detected in London sewage samples, suggesting that there might be some spread among North and East London, although no cases had been identified so far. Thus, healthcare providers are advised to stay vigilant for additional cases, or possible outbreaks.

Author

Nai Ye Yeat