• An unvaccinated man in Rockland County, New York, was paralyzed by polio.
• His case has been genetically related to polio virus strains discovered in London and Jerusalem.
• Dr. Ruppert said she never expected to see polio in the United States during her lifetime.

According to a New York State health expert, there might be hundreds or perhaps thousands of undetected cases of polio in the state.

It comes after a revelation last month that an unvaccinated man in Rockland County, New York, was paralyzed by the virus.

His case has been genetically related to poliovirus strains discovered in sewage in London and Jerusalem.

Developed nations have been advised to increase immunization rates.

Dr. Patricia Schnabel Ruppert, Rockland County’s health commissioner, expressed concern about polio spreading undetected in her state.

“There isn’t just one case of polio if you see a paralytic case. The incidence of paralytic polio is less than 1%,” she said.

“Most cases are asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic, and those symptoms are often missed.

“So there are hundreds, perhaps even thousands of cases that have occurred in order for us to see a paralytic case.”

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After genome sequencing on samples from all three sites, Dr. Ruppert stated that experts are looking into “a linkage” between the New York paralysis case and traces of poliovirus identified in wastewater in London and Jerusalem.

“This is a very serious issue for our global world – it’s not just about New York. We all need to make sure all our populations are properly vaccinated,” she stated.

The paralyzed guy in the United States has “vaccine-derived” polio, which arises when certain countries utilize a weakened strain of the virus in immunizations.

In rare situations, it may mutate and subsequently be spread to those who are unvaccinated via inadequate hygiene.

Because of global mobility, these cases might emerge in nations that aren’t accustomed to seeing polio yet have areas of inadequate immunization.

Although vaccine-derived polio is less severe than the original or “wild” form of the disease, it may still cause significant sickness. The virus has the ability to infect nerves in the spine and at the base of the brain. This may result in paralysis, most often in the legs, but if the breathing muscles are also affected, it can be fatal.

The vaccination used in the United States and most industrialized nations is a newer version that contains no live virus.

Rockland County has traditionally had low immunization rates of only 60%. In 2018, there was a measles epidemic.

Field teams are currently being deployed in these locations to promote increased polio vaccine coverage, especially among youngsters.

More testing is presently being conducted in the United Kingdom after traces of virus were discovered during wastewater monitoring at Beckton sewage works over a period of several weeks.

More information on where parts of London are most impacted is anticipated to be released shortly by the UK Health Security Agency.

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