Health
Has polio returned?Australia begins testing sewage as cases emerge abroad
New South Wales plans to join other states in conducting sewage polio testing as largely eradicated polio cases emerge abroad.
Key Point:
- New South Wales joins Victoria in testing for poliovirus as disease spreads abroad
- New York patient diagnosed with paralytic polio – first case in nine years
- Health officials say there are currently no signs of polio infection in Australia, but experts urge people to get vaccinated
Last month, authorities confirmed a polio epidemic in London for the first time since the 1980s, and in July an unvaccinated person in New York was formally diagnosed with paralytic polio. This is his first case in nine years.
The governor of New York has declared a state of emergency after a wastewater test revealed that the poliovirus had been quietly circulating in parts of the state for some time.
Professor Michael Toole, deputy principal investigator at the Barnett Institute, told the ABC News Daily podcast that another outbreak in Australia poses a moderate but plausible risk.
He said New South Wales has assembled a panel of experts to consider how COVID wastewater monitoring could be adapted to include polio.
“This is an early warning signal, so it’s very important,” says Professor Michael Toole.
“I don’t want to wait for someone with paralysis to show up like they did in New York, because then it’s too late.”
NSW Health says there are currently no signs of polio infection but hopes to begin testing sewage as soon as possible.
Prof Toole said wastewater testing in Victoria has been underway for some time after an outbreak in Israel in 2013 as part of a national monitoring programme.
The poliovirus attacks the human brain and spinal cord, causing muscle paralysis and in some cases, permanent disability or death.
It is mainly transmitted when someone comes into contact with the faeces of an infected person. It is especially prevalent among children who can become infected by putting contaminated objects such as toys in their mouths.
Australia had two major polio epidemics in the 1930s and 1950s, but American scientist Dr. Jonas Salk developed the first vaccine in 1952.
Since then, there has been a dramatic decline in cases around the world.
An estimated 2 to 4 million Australians have contracted the virus and 40,000 have developed paralytic polio.
Prof Toole said vaccination coverage today is “quite high at 90-95%, but of course there are areas where coverage is lower.”
But despite the generally high vaccination rates, Australians shouldn’t be complacent about the risks, he said. genetically related to the sample.
“Our borders are open,” he said.
“If we’ve learned anything in the last three years, we should be aware of potential risks.”
He said the Australian Jewish community in particular may be at higher risk of contracting the virus, as they are more likely to travel to areas where the virus has been detected.
Experts fear more cases
The ABC News Daily podcast spoke with Dr. Patricia Schnabel Rupert, who is coordinating efforts to respond to the polio outbreak in Rockland County, New York.
She fears more cases of paralysis will emerge.
“That’s our fear,” said Rockland County Health Commissioner Dr. Schnabel Rupert.
“I go to bed at night thinking about it. I wake up thinking about it.”
“None of us in the health department had ever seen a case before this.”
Polio is asymptomatic in 75% of cases and just under 25% have mild flu-like symptoms.
However, about 1 in 200 people who get polio will develop irreversible paralysis.
“So our paralyzed patients are just the tip of the iceberg,” said Dr. Schnabel Ruppert.
“It’s not our aim to panic, but we need to let the public know what they can do to protect themselves.”
“The best way to prevent this is to get a vaccine. Otherwise, there is no cure.”
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Sources 2/ https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-09-26/polio-outbreak-fears-as-cases-emerge-overseas/101448202 The mention sources can contact us to remove/changing this article |
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