Polio Detected in NYC’s Sewage

The virus that causes polio has been found in New York City’s wastewater in another sign that the disease, which hadn’t been seen in the U.S. in a decade, is quietly spreading among unvaccinated people, health officials said last week. The presence of the poliovirus in the city’s wastewater suggests likely local circulation of the virus. “The risk to New Yorkers is real but the defense is so simple — get vaccinated against polio,” New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan said. “Polio is entirely preventable and its reappearance should be a call to action for all of us.” Based on past outbreaks, it is possible that hundreds of people in the state have gotten polio and don’t know it, officials said.