New York's Poliovirus Investigation Confirms 94 Samples

A sequencing analysis by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently confirmed the presence of poliovirus in a total of 94 positive wastewater samples of concern collected in New York.

Of the 94 positive samples of concern on December 5, 2022, 87 samples are genetically linked to the Rockland County resident confirmed with polio (Acute Flaccid Paralysis) last summer.

Furthermore, of the 87 samples, they were identified in: 

• Rockland County had 44 samples,
• Orange County had 28,
• Sullivan County had 13,
• Nassau County had 1, and
• Brooklyn (Kings County) had 1.

New York's Department of Health (NYSDOH) website says of December 10, 2022, sequencing analysis characterized the other seven samples as either a vaccine-derived poliovirus (New York City in July) or variants of the revertant polio Sabin type 2 poliovirus (collected in April, June, and July in New York City and Orange County).

Both of these types of polioviruses can cause illness, including paralysis, says the NYSDOH.

Wastewater is sewage containing feces flushed down the toilet.

And wastewater is managed in the sewage system and treated at wastewater treatment plants. So it does not contaminate drinking water, including tap water, streams, and lakes.

Moreover, wastewater collected in sewer systems in New York cannot be a source of polio infection or transmission for the general public.

The NYSDOH stated it would continue its wastewater surveillance efforts in partnership with CDC and communicate openly with New Yorkers as more information becomes available.

Recently, the CDC expanded its poliovirus wastewater investigation to Michigan and Pennsylvania.

The CDC says polio is a vaccine-preventable disease.

Various polio vaccines are available at most clinics and pharmacies in the U.S.

Other polio outbreak news is posted at PrecisionVaccinations.com/Polio.