Polio Has Reared Its Ugly Head in the U.S.

For the first time in almost a decade, someone has been diagnosed with polio in the United States. Per a report from CNN, it’s suspected that the virus identified in the Rockland County, New York man originated in another country. While he himself had not traveled internationally recently, it’s believed that he was infected by an individual who was vaccinated with the oral vaccine still used in some areas of the world. (The U.S. stopped using the oral vaccine in 2000.) Local health officials are investigating possible exposure among the New York patient’s close personal contacts. JUCM News has reported on outbreaks of previously eradicated or nearly eradicated viruses in the past. And JUCM published an article warning of this prospect. You can read Unexpected Viral Illness in an Urgent Care Setting: The Re-Emergence of Mumps, Measles, and Varicella in our archive to learn more.