Philadelphia is among one the first U.S. cities to be tested in a new poliovirus study, according to an announcement by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
If poliovirus is found in sewage or wastewater, officials say that indicates someone in the area is shedding the virus. However, those samples can't be used to identify who is infected, or how many people are affected.
"It would not be surprising if poliovirus is detected by testing wastewater because strains of poliovirus can be shed in people’s stool without symptoms, putting unvaccinated people at risk. However, not all potential detections will be cause for concern," the CDC says. The Michigan Department of Health and Services will join Philadelphia health officials in this initial testing, with preliminary discussions for more testing underway in other states.
"Improving vaccination coverage, rapid reporting and national case surveillance are the keys to preventing additional cases of paralytic polio in the United States."
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Bay Area naturopath who sold fake COVID-19 vaccine cards gets nearly 3 yearsThe case is the first federal criminal fraud prosecution related to fraudulent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention vaccination cards for COVID-19
Read more »
Arizona researchers part of effort to create a Valley fever vaccineValley fever symptoms may become noticeable one to three weeks after a person inhales spores, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says.
Read more »
COVID hospitalization rates in babies as bad as for seniors amid Omicron wave, study showsThe findings, published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, show that COVID-19 can still cause severe and fatal outcomes in children too young to be vaccinated.
Read more »
Ashtabula, Medina, Lorain counties turn red for high COVID-19 spread on CDC map; masks advisedThe COVID-19 picture in Northeast Ohio worsened last week, with three counties previously designated yellow flipping to red, for high COVID-19 spread.
Read more »
World Health Organization cites ‘alarming’ dental statisticsWorldwide, untreated cavities are the most common oral health issue, affecting more than 2 billion people, and severe gum disease affects about 1 billion people, according to a new report on oral health from the World Health Organization.
Read more »
Several Bay Area warming centers open amid cold weatherSeveral warming centers will be open through Sunday in Santa Clara County, where temperatures are expected to dip into the 30s overnight through the weekend.
Read more »