New York has issued a health warning for travelers heading to Israel after an 8-year-old boy was left paralyzed by a polio outbreak in the country.
The health ministry said on Friday that anyone planning to visit the country this spring should make sure they are up to date on their polio vaccines.
Four cases of childhood polio have been diagnosed in Safed, in northern Israel, and hundreds more positive sewage samples have been found in recent weeks, suggesting the virus is spreading.
Polio fears have revived in the United States, particularly in New York, after a surge in cases last year marked the first outbreak in nearly 40 years.
New York also has the largest Jewish population in the United States, with 1.7 million people, and has at least three direct flights to the country per day.
New York said anyone planning to visit Israel this spring should make sure they’re up to date on their polio vaccines
The map above shows the five New York boroughs that have detected polio in their sewage. These were Rockland, Sullivan, Orange, New York City and Nassau
A 20-year-old man from Rockland County, New York, was paralyzed by the virus last July.
So far, there have been no other human cases in the state, although sewage samples have continued to test positive, suggesting it is still present.
Samples from five counties, namely Rockland County, Orange County, Sullivan County, Nassau County and New York City, tested positive for the virus 100 times.
It was not clear how the man contracted the virus, but he tested positive for a strain used in live vaccines. The US phased out this sample in 2000, but it is still adopted in some countries, including Afghanistan and Pakistan.
In the United Kingdom, one case has been linked to someone who received the live vaccine and may have infected others.
Polio was once close to global eradication, but with declining vaccination coverage, the preventable disease is making a comeback.
In severe cases, patients may experience paralysis and meningitis or spinal cord inflammation.
Warning Polio may have spread to additional states
The CDC said testing will take at least four months. They hope to find out where the virus is circulating undetected after a case discovered in New York last July put officials on high alert.
There is no cure for it, and doctors instead rely on vaccines to prevent serious illness.
Three doses of the vaccines are more than 99 percent effective against paralysis caused by the virus.
But vaccination rates are declining across the country, and in New York, only 79 percent of residents are aware of polio vaccines.
To achieve herd immunity — where the virus cannot spread — levels must be 80 to 85 percent, according to the World Health Organization.
In Rockland County, polio vaccine uptake dropped to 60 percent, while in Yates it dropped to 54 percent. So far, only Rockland has reported cases.
In its warning, New York State urged all New Yorkers to ensure they are fully vaccinated against the virus.
They said: “In recent days, the Israeli Ministry of Health has confirmed that four children in northern Israel have tested positive for the poliovirus after an unvaccinated child showed symptoms of paralysis.
“In addition, Israel reported widespread detection of poliovirus in sewage systems.”
It added: “The best way individuals can ensure they are protected against polio is to ensure they are up-to-date with polio vaccinations.”
New York also said it was in contact with health officials in Israel to ensure a “coordinated response” to the outbreak.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends “enhanced precautions” for people traveling to Israel and a polio vaccination.
This means travelers must be vaccinated against polio and must avoid close contact with sick animals or people while in Israel.
It also calls on people not to touch materials used by the sick – such as clothes or bedding – and not to eat wild animals or use cream, milk or powders derived from wild animals not.
The most New York samples came from Rockland County (44), followed by Orange County (30), Sullivan County (13) and New York City (five). A sample was also collected in Nassau County.
In Israel, an eight-year-old boy in the north of the country was diagnosed with polio late last month after suffering from weakness in his limbs.
Three children who were also in contact with the boy in the northern city of Safed also tested positive.
They were asymptomatic and their vaccination status was unclear. The paralyzed boy was not vaccinated.
In February last year, another seven children tested positive for the virus, six of whom were asymptomatic. The cases were in Jerusalem.
As in New York, it has been found in sewage from all over the country, including Jerusalem.
This led to the introduction of an immunization program that encouraged all communities to be vaccinated against polio.
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
