The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said the United States of America now joins the list of around 30 countries with circulating vaccine derived poliovirus identified by the World Health Organization (WHO).
According to US CDC, in several wastewater samples from the communities near the residence of patient, meet the criteria for cVDPV by WHO. The health agency of the United States said it means that poliovirus still continues to be transmitted in Rockland County and surrounding areas of New York.
The genetic sequences of poliovirus from the patient from Rockland County, New York, and wastewater specimens collected in New York have been linked to the wastewater samples in Israel, Jerusalem, and London, which indicates community transmission.
According to the US CDC, the cVDPV mainly occurs when local immunity to poliovirus is low enough to allow the transmission of the original weakened virus in the oral polio vaccine. As the virus circulates and more changes in genetics occur, the poliovirus can regain its ability to infect the central nervous system and also cause paralysis.
Jose R. Romero, director of National Centre for Immunisation and Respiratory Diseases of US CDC, said polio vaccination is the safest and best way to fight polio disease, and it is imperative that people in these communities who are not vaccinated get up to date on the polio vaccination.
