New York, USA, declared a state disaster emergency yesterday after samples of the polio virus were found in wastewater in five of its counties.
New York’s Governor, Kathy Hochul, gave the executive order more than a month after an adult in Rockland County was diagnosed with the disease in July, which was America’s first confirmed case of polio in almost a decade.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found poliovirus samples in Nassau County, which brings the total to five counties – Rockland, Orange, Sullivan, Nassau, and New York City.
The declaration was made in an effort to facilitate health care providers to contain the spread of the often disabling virus before it becomes an epidemic in the state, and the state of emergency will continue until 9 October.
The polio virus — which is mostly found in the fecal matter of an infected person – was found in wastewater samples collected in April and the first polio case this year was identified in July in the state. Officials stated that an unvaccinated man in Rockland County was infected by the virus.
No other cases have since been reported in the state but officials have been monitoring the wastewater in the state to track whether the virus is spreading, and are urging unvaccinated citizens to get vaccinated.
Although people of all ages are vulnerable to the polio virus, it is known to mainly infect children aged three and younger.
The governor’s declaration also requires health care providers to send polio immunization data to the state’s health officials to help them decide where to target vaccination drives.
“Do not wait to vaccinate,” New York’s Health Commissioner, Dr. Mary T. Bassett, urged in a statement on Friday and added, “on polio, we simply cannot roll the dice.”
