Health officials in New York have again detected the poliovirus in wastewater from Rockland County, which had a case of paralytic polio last summer.
In the months since the first case was reported in July, wastewater samples from Rockland and several neighboring counties were positive for poliovirus, suggesting widespread circulation of the virus in the area.
So far this year, officials have detected poliovirus in only one sample taken in Rockland in February. Two samples taken from the county during March were negative. The last positive sample from the area, before being detected in February, was in Orange County, just north of Rockland, in mid-December. Detected. Rockland’s last positive test was in October.
The data does not suggest that the poliovirus is circulating again in the region, but health officials are wary that the virus could easily flare up again. It is one of the regions with the lowest vaccination coverage in the country. As of August, only 60.34% of her 2-year-olds in the county had been vaccinated against polio. In some parts of the county, the charges are in her 50s.
Officials are concerned about the possibility of international spread of polio to Rockland’s large Jewish community during upcoming vacation trips.
“With the expected increase in travel between Rockland County and Israel during the Passover period, Rockland County has made it clear to families that they are at real risk of being paralyzed by the poliovirus if they are not vaccinated. We will remind you,” Rockland County officials said in a press release.
Israel’s Ministry of Health recently reported four cases of polio among children in the north of the country. One of her cases was paralysis. The poliovirus strain behind the paralysis cases in Rockland last summer was linked to a virus that was spreading in London and Israel at the time.
Additionally, Rockland officials noted that polio infections are headed toward a historic peak in the summer.
“Polio can be prevented by completing a vaccination series. Our hope is that we will not again see cases of paralytic polio as we did last summer. We encourage everyone who has not been vaccinated to complete the vaccination series, which is important in the region, not just for travelers,” said Rockland Health Commissioner. Patricia Schnabel Rupert said.
Officials continue to push vaccinations in some counties where anti-vaccine sentiment is high. They are providing free polio boosters at walk-in clinics, working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to audit immunization coverage in day care and schools, and improving immunization messages.
“It is our duty to protect all inhabitants from potentially debilitating and potentially fatal diseases. Legislation mandating childhood vaccinations has been in place for many years for precisely this reason,” he said. County Administrator Ed Day said. “I urge residents to act now and protect themselves, their families and their communities.”
In addition to battling polio amid low immunization coverage, Rockland also found himself battling measles. In 2019, the county faced a prolonged outbreak that led to a state of emergency declaration.
