2023-10-22 10:38:40
World Polio Day: Outbreak in New York appears to be contained
New York, 22nd October 2023 – A year after the detection of polioviruses in the state of New York, health authorities have announced that the outbreak appears to have been largely contained. This news comes just in time for World Polio Day, which aims to eradicate polio worldwide. However, experts warn that the risk of the disease still remains.
In the summer of 2022, a young man north of New York City became infected with the poliovirus, marking the first case in the United States in over a decade. Subsequently, polio pathogens were found in the wastewater of several communities in the state, including the metropolis. However, there have been no recent detections, giving hope that the outbreak has been controlled.
Governor Kathy Hochul declared a disaster due to the outbreak, which expired in December last year. Despite the containment of the outbreak in New York, the World Health Organization (WHO) emphasizes that the goal of eradicating polio worldwide has not yet been achieved. The recent Epidemiological Bulletin from the Robert Koch Institute reveals an increase in wild poliovirus infections in parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan in 2022. In addition, there have been concerns over vaccine-derived poliovirus infections, primarily in areas with low vaccination rates.
The bulletin reports 880 cases of vaccine-derived poliovirus infections in 2022 and 305 cases in 2023. These infections occur in areas where a high proportion of the population is unvaccinated. The weakened viruses in the oral vaccination can circulate undetected and result in acute flaccid paralysis. The RKI estimates that for every confirmed case, there are approximately 200 additional, unrecognized infections.
The interruption of routine vaccinations, including those against polio, in many countries during the pandemic has further contributed to the spread of the disease. Low vaccination rates in African countries have made them particularly vulnerable to vaccine-derived poliovirus infections. Last year, there were also cases detected in Israel and Great Britain.
Before vaccinations were introduced, Germany alone had thousands of polio cases and hundreds of deaths each year. Since the global vaccination campaigns began in 1988, approximately 20 million people have been saved from paralysis and 1.5 million from death, according to the WHO.
In the United States, the infectious disease was considered extinct until the recent case in 2022. Polio is often transmitted through contaminated hands or water and can cause paralysis and even death, especially in young children. Currently, there is no cure for polio.
While the containment of the outbreak in New York brings some relief, it serves as a reminder that polio continues to be a global threat. Vaccination rates need to be increased to ensure the eradication of polio worldwide.
(© dpa-infocom, dpa:231022-99-655703/2)]
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