Polio virus has been detected in sewage water in New York State, USA. A state of emergency has been declared to control the transmission of polio among humans.
According to the US media New York Times, Governor Cathy Hochul declared a state of emergency on Friday (September 9). The state of emergency is aimed at increasing vaccination rates.
The US Department of Disease Control and Prevention collected samples from some of Nassau County’s wastewater last August. Later, scientists found the presence of polio virus in the samples.
Polio virus was also found in Rockland County, north of New York City, last summer. That virus is similar to the virus found in Nassau County.
In addition, the virus was found in wastewater collected from Orange and Sullivan counties.
According to the US State Department of Health, the type of polio virus found in the sample test can cause paralysis.
Health officials said that if even one person is infected with the polio virus, hundreds of other people can be infected with the virus.
But so far, the New York Department of Health has confirmed one case of polio.
There is no vaccine for polio. But it can be cured by vaccination. This virus usually causes serious health problems in children.
(10th August)