Is the dreaded Polio disease making a comeback?
Yesterday, the New York State Department of Health reported on the identification of a case of paralytic poliomyelitis in an unvaccinated person in Rockland County, a vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2.
According to a release from Belize's Press Office, in 1994, the Americas became the first region in the world to be certified polio-free by the World Health Organization. No cases of wild poliovirus have been detected in the countries and territories of the Region of the Americas in over 30 years.
In Belize, the last case of polio was diagnosed in 1981. Belize has managed to achieve and maintain over 95.0 % of anti-polio vaccination coverage except for the last two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic where the coverage has decreased to 78.8% in 2020 and 83.4 % in 2021.
The release continues to say that unvaccinated persons may acquire the infection when in contact with the virus and that it is spread seven to ten days before and after experience signs and symptoms of the diseased, which include fever, diarrhea, sore throat, upset stomach, headache, pain or stiffness in the neck, back, and legs.
There is no treatment for the disease and immunization is the only protection against the polio infection.
The release ends by advising the public to review their children's immunization status and if not fully vaccinated, vaccines are available at health facilities and during mobile clinics. Detection and reporting of cases of any acute flaccid paralysis in children under 15 years of age to the health authorities are of utmost importance for early investigation and detection of cases.
