‘Hundreds’ of New Yorkers may already be infected with polio, Empire state health chief warns – as the virus is detected in wastewater of a SECOND county
(Source: Daily Mail)
- New York’s health chief warns that hundreds of residents of the state may already be infected with polio
- Officials reported their first case of the virus in years last month, signaling there are likely many other asymptomatic cases not being tracked
- The first case was detected in Rockland County, while two polio samples were found in wastewater in Orange County
- Officials are urging residents to get vaccinated to prevent a resurgence of the devastating virus
New York officials are warning that hundreds of Empire state residents may already be infected with the devastating polio virus after it was detected in wastewater of a second county in the state.
State surveillance detected presence of the polio virus in at least two different areas of Orange County, New York – around an hours drive from New York City – in June and July. It comes within weeks of officials announcing a confirmed polio case in Rockland County – just northwest of the Big Apple’s Bronx borough. The virus was also detected in Rockland wastewater last month.
The likelihood of these spreading is low but not impossible. Because of advanced water treatment in America, it is rare a person ends up drinking truly contaminated tap water. It is possible that fecal matter could end up on a surface a person interacts with, though, and ends up transmitting the virus.