According to New York City officials, polio has been detected in the city's sewage, suggesting it is being transmitted locally.
As a result, local and federal health officials are assessing the situation, according to New York State Health Commissioner Mary Bassett.
“For every one case of paralytic polio identified, hundreds more may be undetected,” she added in a news release on Friday. “The detection of poliovirus in wastewater samples in New York City is alarming, but not surprising. Already, the State Health Department–working with local and federal partners–is responding urgently, continuing case investigation and aggressively assessing spread.”
Paralysis occurs in a small percentage of people who contract polio. Approximately 5 to 10 percent of paralyzed people die from the disease.
12 August 2022
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