Another contagious disease that is making a resurgence is polio. Polio was once one of the nation’s most feared diseases, that caused thousands of cases of paralysis, mostly in children. LSU Health New Orleans infectious disease specialist Dr. Fred Lopez said it has been detected in New York City’s wastewater.
“There is a report from New York showing someone who developed polio infection, and who is the person most likely to polio, is the person who’s not been vaccinated,” said Lopez.
While symptoms include fever and vomiting, polio can be asymptomatic, and patients can shed the virus and infect someone unknowingly.
Lopez said with the disease making a comeback it's imperative vaccines be kept up to date.
“It’s a routine vaccination for children but if you’re an adult and you haven’t been vaccinated, reach out to your healthcare provider to get vaccinated,” said Lopez.
The neurological disease has been detected in wastewater systems in New York and in London. Lopez said that means it’s spreading in some communities.
“And as a result, might be able to transmit amongst people who are not vaccinated and not immune to polio,” said Lopez.
The polio vaccination rate for children entering kindergarten in Louisiana last fall was 98.6 percent. The national average is 93.9 percent.
