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After a case of polio was revealed in New York last month, many health officials began to be concerned about a potential reemergence of the disease. The reported case, according to a senior official from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is “just the very, very tip of the iceberg,” adding that hundreds more may have already been afflicted.
In Rockland County, the initial case was disclosed where l ow rates of polio immunization gives much problem to this development. People who are infected with the polio virus do not demonstrate any symptoms, according to Dr. Jose Romero, the director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases division. This suggests that the virus may be spreading within the community without anyone being aware of it.
“There are a number of individuals in the community that have been infected with poliovirus. They are shedding the virus. The spread is always a possibility because the spread is going to be silent,” stated Dr. Romero.
From their headquarters in Atlanta, disease investigators from the CDC traveled to Rockland County to conduct further investigation. They all voiced concern that the polio epidemic “could mushroom out of control very quickly and we could have a crisis on our hands.”
A patient who has polio is more likely to die and become paralyzed. Often, there is no treatment for the paralysis. The battle to eradicate polio, however, has been going on for years. In fact, polio was officially declared eradicated in the US forty years ago. Because of this, a lot of people are virus-immune.
Even so, a large number of people still have complete absence or receive insufficient vaccinations. Even though the US as a whole has a 93% vaccination rate, the CDC team warns that only 60% of people in Rockland County have received their vaccinations, which is where the first confirmed case of the poliovirus occurred.
To stop the further spread of polio, the CDC is currently developing alternative approaches. Providing additional adult and pediatric vaccinations have already begun. The health department of the nation is also taking action in London in this manner.
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America’s polio problem
The polio case in Rockland County, is the first known instance of the virus in more than 30 years, per the CDC’s data. In addition, the virus, which has been genetically linked to the strain of the patient from Rockland County, has made its way into both the sewage systems of two counties. Thankfully, the virus hasn’t been found outside of these places by health authorities.
It’s possible that the poliovirus won’t show any symptoms. Actually, according to the CDC, 3 out of every 4 infected people don’t display overt symptoms of the virus’s influence. Individuals with polio may experience headache and sore throat if they do. However, given that these are typical signs of other illnesses, some people may opt to forego medical testing altogether.
One out of every 200 infected people develops paralysis as a result of the infection. Due to the impairment of their respiratory systems, the majority of these people pass away.
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A need to educate people about polio
According to a vaccine educator, the CDC should develop various means of reaching out to the public to raise awareness of polio, particularly among those without internet access. “We spoke about the need for messaging that resonates,” and the educator said a press release would not be sufficient.
Many people continue to oppose the concept of vaccination, even as the need for vaccination and education becomes completely obvious. There are ways to convince people to get the vaccine for themselves and their children, however, claims Dr. Mary Leahy, CEO of Bon Secours Charity Health System.
“I turn to the grandparents and the great-grandparents who actually lived through the days of polio in the ’40s and ’50s. I grew up in Mexico. I saw this disease, the complications. I went to school with children that had braces.”
“I think most of the American public has never seen a case of polio. People have lost that fear, if you will, of the disease.”
Source: CNN
Opinions expressed by Texas Today contributors are their own.
