Polio detected in NYC wastewater

New York Health officials announced on Friday that poliovirus, which causes paralytic polio, had been detected in New York City sewage, suggesting likely circulation of the virus in the Big Apple.

State Health Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett called the development alarming but not surprising as it had been detected in surrounding areas, including a confirmed case in Rockland County on July 21.

“For every one case of paralytic polio identified, hundreds more may be undetected,” Bassett said in a statement.

“The best way to keep adults and children polio-free is through safe and effective immunization – New Yorkers’ greatest protection against the worst outcomes of polio, including permanent paralysis and even death,” she added.

The confirmed polio case on July 21 was the first detected in America in almost a decade. The patient was unvaccinated, reported the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Polio is very contagious and can cause nerve injury leading to paralysis, difficulty breathing and sometimes death, according to the CDC.

Typically spread orally, through fecal matter or saliva, about one in four people will experience mild flu-like symptoms. In rare cases, the infected experience more severe, life-threatening symptoms such as tingling in the extremities, meningitis or paralysis, says the CDC.

Paralysis can be permanent, even fatal if it affects muscles used to breathe or swallow.

The virus has no cure but can be prevented by immunizations.

“The risk to New Yorkers is real but the defense is so simple – get vaccinated against polio,” New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan said in a statement.  

“With polio circulating in our communities there is simply nothing more essential than vaccinating our children to protect them from this virus, and if you’re an unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated adult, please choose now to get the vaccine. Polio is entirely preventable and its reappearance should be a call to action for all of us.”

As of August 1, 2022, Rockland County has a polio vaccination rate of 60.34 percent, compared to the statewide average of 78.96 percent, among children who have received 3 polio immunizations before their second birthday, reports NYC Health.