New York, Aug. 12 (BUS): The virus that causes polio has been found in New York City sewage in another sign that the disease, which has not appeared in the United States for a decade, is spreading quietly among unvaccinated people, health officials said Friday. .
The Associated Press (AP) reported that the presence of polio virus in the city’s sewage indicates that the virus may have spread locally.
Authorities have urged parents to vaccinate their children against the potentially deadly disease.
“The danger to New Yorkers is real but the defense is very simple – get a polio vaccine,” said New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan. “With the spread of polio in our communities, there is nothing more important than vaccinating our children to protect them from this virus, and if you are an adult who is not immunized or has been incompletely vaccinated, please choose to get vaccinated now. Polio is completely preventable and should be His reappearance is a call to action for all of us.”
Dr. Jose R. Romero, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases: We know that polio spreads silently, and there are likely many more people who have polio and are releasing the virus in these communities. This is also an urgent and inspiring reminder of the importance of vaccination.”
AOQ