Polio

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Polio detected in NYC’s sewage, suggesting virus circulating

NEW YORK (AP) — The virus that causes polio has been found in New York City’s wastewater in another sign that the disease, which hadn’t been seen in the U.S. in a decade, is quietly spreading among unvaccinated people, health officials said Friday.

https://apnews.com/article/health-new-york-city-wastewater-climate-and-environment-8df014e9b38a70606c04234492bb3fb4

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What is Polio?

• Polio, or poliomyelitis, is a disabling and life-threatening disease caused by the poliovirus.
• The virus spreads from person to person and can infect a person’s spinal cord, causing paralysis (can’t move parts of the body).

https://www.cdc.gov/polio/what-is-polio/index.htm

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N.Y. state detects polio case, first in the U.S. since 2013

New York State reported Thursday that it has detected a case of vaccine-derived polio in an unvaccinated adult in Rockland County, north of New York City, the first such case in the United States since 2013.
https://www.statnews.com/2022/07/21/n-y-state-detects-polio-case-first-in-the-u-s-since-2013/

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History of polio vaccination

Polio is a highly infectious disease, mostly affecting young children, that attacks the nervous system and can lead to spinal and respiratory paralysis, and in some cases death.

https://www.who.int/news-room/spotlight/history-of-vaccination/history-of-polio-vaccination