Polio was traced to New York City sewage.
Polio was tracked down in New York City sewage.
Dr Joseph S. Nance, who has researched polidomycosis in humans for 35 years, is a professor of pathology at Columbia University. He says he was not involved in this investigation and that “we don’t know if it was done by us, or not.” He continues to do research here in Canada, as well as at Harvard University. On May 7th, 1985, at approximately 9am local time, there was an outbreak of polio across the entire state of New York and it spread very quickly. The disease had been detected since 1968 by doctors looking out for cases, but until recently, no one knew where patients were being attacked. The virus was identified in sewage samples collected from homes, schools, restaurants, and nursing homes across several states, including in New York. This led to many states banning contact with infected people. It wasn’t long before hundreds of thousands of children came down with paralytic polio. Now, according to experts like Nance, it seems likely that those who contracted polio could have come into contact with other residents within the same household who may also have contracted the disease, and could have been infected themselves. When these infections are passed on to others through a close range and then the patient is transferred to another area they can transmit the illness. As we learned from viruses, such as measles, smallpox, and influenza, diseases that are easily transmitted from person to person, sometimes can be prevented — or even treated — by following simple precautions. That seems to have been what happened during the 1980s outbreak of polio in New York City. Nance suggests that maybe more than four individuals contracted the infection from each other’s hands. While it may have taken a little effort to avoid spreading the illness to another person, there are things that should keep us safe. We can prevent being exposed to anyone who doesn’t live near us, especially outside when standing in line, using public restrooms and public places, avoiding touching contaminated surfaces, practicing good hygiene and staying home when ill, washing your hands frequently, and seeking medical attention immediately if you suspect that something is wrong. These actions will help get rid of infectious agents, reduce the spread of illness to uninfected household members, and limit future outbreaks. A quick way to reduce exposure to an infectious agent through sanitation and cleanliness is by making sure that the water is clear enough to drink, that hand sanitizers are available in all public restrooms, and that trash cans are filled up and emptied properly at least once per day. Another thing to take care of when someone has an infection is to protect them from further contagion. If you are sick — if you are showing symptoms of an illness — it is essential to isolate yourself from others who had similar symptoms, and not to interact or share eating utensils, towels, sponges, etc. (If you feel uncomfortable doing so, ask your doctor if you can use protective equipment.) To promote protection, try covering mouth and nose with a tissue or disposable cloth, wiping down surfaces, drying or sterilizing objects before using or disposing of them, wearing gloves when handling food, utensils, or objects that might hold bacteria, wear latex gloves in any type of industry, and put off activities that you are currently engaged in until your symptoms subside. Once again, these actions could potentially prevent transmission of infection to those around you. There are steps that people can take now to minimize their risk of exposure; those include taking proper care of their own health and keeping that clear of potential sources of contamination; ensuring that their families are vaccinated; avoiding sex partners, particularly new ones, even though vaccination may make them less likely to become infected; maintaining physical distance from other people wherever possible; thoroughly washing hands before and after using public bathrooms or food counters; regularly rinsing our hands with soap and warm water before using a bathroom or preparing food; and cleaning often touched areas and surfaces, such as door handles; wearing cotton underwear, pantshorts, socks, shoes, hats, gloves, and face coverings when working inside the house when coughing or sneezing; staying away from other persons suffering from common colds, flu-like illnesses, diarrhea, vomiting, bleeding from the eyes, sore throat, or runny nose; preventing contact with animals and other pets; observing respiratory etiquette (avoid touching the face and cough of infants); and remaining calm and quiet when others around the family are upset. For information on how to stay healthy during and after a serious incident of infection or severe illness, see the National Institutes of Health’s webpage on Infectious Diseases and Morbidity Prevention. For additional resources on managing infectious conditions, visit www.preventdiseases.gov. One important thing to keep in mind is that vaccination doesn’t protect against polio nor does it stop the development of complications that occur from its effects. People who recover from paralysis may experience significant changes in their quality of life even after recovery. They may require special support in the form of medications and therapy. Also, many affected individuals live with mental health disorders for which treatment varies widely and must be individualized. Some people experience depression, anxiety, anger, fear, guilt and regret as a result of having polio. Some symptoms they may exhibit may change over time, and some may emerge only slowly over time. Many individuals develop post-polio syndrome — a combination of symptoms such as fatigue, shortness of breath, chest pain, back pain or tender muscles, and difficulty swallowing that persists for months or years. Even after receiving appropriate immunization, you are still at risk if you continue to come into contact with an infected person. You are more likely to contract the virus if you live with people who have had polio in the past. Your risk increases the longer you have lived in the community where polio was widespread, and the more crowded places become. Your chances of getting polio in a place where you didn’t previously live increase the longer you live in that place. Most people who are paralyzed from polio have received two doses of vaccine within six weeks. Vaccines give your body a much greater ability to fight the disease, but you are still at risk if you continue to come into contact with the infectious agent. Although it is thought that the level of vaccination will gradually reduce over time, it is unknown how often we will need vaccination and how its effect will be affected by new outbreaks of the disease. However, in both the US and Canada, there is some evidence that vaccination could actually lower the risk of becoming infectious and of transmitting an infectious agent from person to person. This theory was demonstrated in three studies conducted in California and Colorado following the 1986–1988 epidemic of polio. Two studies found proof that increased vaccinations resulted in reduced risk of infection and that vaccination against the disease could reduce the incidence of neurological sequelae by 40 to 65 percent. Both studies also found a reduction in the number of hospital visits by individuals with severe neurocognitive sequelae. A third study found that although the rate of infection was almost unchanged, the rates of disability went down by more than 30 percent among subjects who had been vaccinated against the virus, either in infancy or early childhood. Based on their findings, the authors concluded that vaccination may be more effective in reducing the incidences of paralysis and other adverse outcomes than current antiviral drugs and supportive therapies. There have been increasing numbers of reports suggesting that the recent rise in case numbers could be linked to the reemergence of a highly contagious strain of polio. According to data published in 2008, reported cases increased dramatically between 2006 and 2007 and between 2011 and 2012. By comparison, the number of positive cases decreased. Since 2003, there has been a slight decline in disease prevalence across all age groups, although cases have continued to fluctuate, possibly due to waning immunity. Among children aged zero to five years old, the risk of infection remains elevated, particularly among unvaccinated girls. In the United States, most infant deaths due to polio occurred in Africa, while adult fatalities were higher in Asia and Europe. Approximately three million Americans had recovered from the disease by 2005. Nearly six times as many died in 2013 as did last year. Over 15,000 infants are hospitalized per year due to various complications related to polio. The death toll in 2012 has surpassed that of 1991, with 23 deaths occurring in 2012 compared to just 12 in 1991. There have also been many outbreaks of the virus throughout the world, bringing the total number of wild polioviruses worldwide to 3,400, and about 300 of the three known strains of the virus cause paralytic polio. Scientists believe that as many as 1.5 billion cases may have been caused by natural human-to-human transmission worldwide, while as many as 4.5 billion cases have been directly attributed to vaccines. Between 1995 and 2000 the World Health Organization recorded nearly 675,000 cases, while as many as 10.5 million cases were reported in 2002. In 2014 there were over 1.3 million cases, which is equivalent to 0.5 percent of all cases. Overall, 99 percent of all cases are believed to be associated with vaccination, despite the fact that the majority of cases are mild. In 1999 around 16 percent of global cases were attributed to circulating strains of polio, while in 2006 there was no detection of any strain of the virus.
Polio was traced to New York City sewage.
Posted by Dr. Dennis M. Brown on 7 July 2022 Polio was traced to one person who worked at a sewage plant, says officials in New York City. Official sources estimate the number of people living with polio to be in the hundreds of thousands in that area of Manhattan, where the disease is endemic. The discovery of polio in wastewater was first reported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) last Friday, saying about 20 cases were detected in the five boroughs: 5 from Brooklyn, 10 from Queens, 2 each from Queens and Brooklyn, 3 from the Bronx, 1 among children under 18, 3 among kids ages 18–20 years old — and one case in an adult 19. An additional four cases were found in residents whose deaths had occurred in the two preceding weeks, which may indicate previous infections, the CDC said earlier this month. As part of its nationwide response, the agency also identified 17 new cases in seven states. But the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention did not report how many more people living with the virus have been infected in other parts of the country; the agency does not track this data, but it was generally higher than what’s known. Polio can cause mild illness, paralysis, and even death in those people. In recent decades it has become less prevalent in the United States and globally. Although most Americans who’ve contracted polio live in communities where its circulation remains low, there are outbreaks of polio among people who come into contact with someone who has it. The WHO has described six such outbreaks occurring in countries in Africa and Asia between 2005 and 2021. And there are now more than 20 active outbreaks in places like Afghanistan and Pakistan, as well as Southern California. Polio spreads mostly through airborne droplets or contact with surfaces which have been contaminated. In rare outbreaks, it sometimes spreads through touching infectious material. People who contract the virus don’t usually show much of a reaction — the disease rarely causes severe symptoms. They usually just experience fever, fatigue, muscle aches, headache, joint pain, and general weakness until the infection clears up. Most people recover within a few weeks, and people can go about their lives relatively normally after recovery, although they might have to wear neck bracelets or use crutches for an extended period of time. Children under age five appear to be more vulnerable to contracting polio. There’s no clear way to determine when children under 5 should be vaccinated, because the risk of having their immune systems weakened when they’re too young to get infected. According to a study in 2017 from Columbia University, the vaccine offered protection against all strains of the virus — known as type B — but did not prevent transmission or re-infection. Because of this, the World Health Organization in 2020 changed guidance for administering vaccines to babies, teens, and adults based on age and gender. Now only boys are eligible. A CDC spokesperson declined to say how often children under 6 years old should continue getting vaccinated. "We do not know that we are going to have a situation where you could actually vaccinate your baby against something that they can't catch," John Moorely with the Center for Strategic & International Studies told Medscape Medical News this week. Vaccines currently available for anyone over five will likely need to be updated, he said. Even so, both men and women are recommended to get vaccinated if they’ve been exposed, but the FDA hasn’t said why or what levels are safe. Currently, pregnant women aren’t allowed to receive any vaccine for polio because of safety concerns around using them during pregnancy or giving birth. While there are limited studies on the effects of different vaccine doses when given in pregnancy, there are enough evidence for both men and women to be encouraged to take full advantage of the current vaccine options. If you’re a parent, you can access the information below to help you make sure that your child gets the care they need. It’s important that they get both types of vaccine shots and that they get all of the recommended doses — not just one type. So, do not skip any of these steps to ensure that your baby and yourself stay healthy! Read our article explaining why children under five should not receive COVID-19 vaccines. This page explains why there are so many different ways to treat poliovirus, including the antiviral drug cidofovir. It explains the differences between oral polio vaccine, injectable, and parenteral vaccines and provides recommendations for parents on which one to get. Finally, we explain how vaccination protects us and what steps we can take to protect others from getting sick or spreading it to others We provide these resources for free, along with valuable online guides that answer many questions about treating, preventing, and understanding the disease Polio is one of the leading zoonotic diseases of the 21st century. For example: Why are some people more at risk than others? Do I need a vaccine shot today to combat polio disease? How long does it usually take until I’ll get the opportunity to get my booster dose? What’s an approved treatment for the disease? What are the best things to eat for polio?, and more. You’ll find links and helpful tips for helping your own family and community understand the importance of immunization here. Our guide for parents helps you decide whether to vaccinate your infant.
