Polio virus, illustration. Each virus particle is composed of a protein coat around a core containing the RNA genetic material. This virus infects children and causes poliomyelitis or infantile paralysis.
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The New York State Department of Health confirmed one case of polio on Thursday and asked health care providers to watch for additional infections.
A Rockland County resident tested positive for polio less than an hour outside of New York City, according to the state health department. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the infection.
According to the CDC, health officials in New York believe the case originated outside the US, with no cases of polio reported in the US since 1979.
According to the state health department, the person who caught the polio strain, known as revertant Sabin type 2 virus, suggested that the chain of infection started from someone who had received the oral polio vaccine. The oral polio vaccine contains a mild virus strain that is still capable of replicating, which means people who receive it can spread the virus to others.
The oral polio vaccine is no longer offered in the US, according to New York health officials, which suggests the chain of transmission began overseas. The US uses an inactivated polio vaccine that is given as a shot in the leg or arm. This vaccine uses a non-replicating virus strain so that people receiving it cannot spread the virus to others.
The CDC recommends that all children receive the polio vaccine. New York state requires that all children get the shot before they start school.
Polio is highly contagious and often begins with flu-like symptoms such as fatigue, fever, headache, muscle aches, vomiting and stiffness. It can take up to 30 days for symptoms to develop, which means that people who have not yet become ill can still spread the virus to others.
In rare cases, polio can cause paralysis and death. According to the CDC, the virus caused widespread fear in the 1940s before a vaccine was available, with more than 35,000 people becoming disabled from polio each year. At the time, many parents were afraid to let their children play outside during the summer when transmission was at its peak.
However, a successful national vaccination campaign in the 1950s to 1960s dramatically reduced the number of infections. By 1979 America was polio free.