Polio virus detected in Orange County wastewater, genetically linked to Rockland case

GOSHEN − The polio virus has been detected in wastewater samples in Orange County and is genetically linked to the polio case recently reported in Rockland County, officials said.

Orange County announced Tuesday that the virus was identified in wastewater samples taken in June and July from the county-run facility in Harriman and Middletown's plant.

On Thursday the New York State Department of Health said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that three positive samples from Rockland and four from Orange are genetically linked to the individual case of paralytic polio previously identified in a Rockland County resident.

That provides "further evidence of local — not international — transmission of a polio virus that can cause paralysis and potential community spread, underscoring the urgency of every New York adult and child getting immunized, especially those in the greater New York metropolitan area," the state Department of Health said in a statement. "NYSDOH will continue its active, ongoing wastewater surveillance efforts in partnership with CDC."

Orange officials said their samples were initially collected from wastewater treatment plants across the county and were tested for COVID-19.

“Yesterday, the New York State Department of Health informed the Orange County Department of Health that analysis from the CDC detected the polio virus in wastewater samples taken from June and July in two geographically different locations in Orange County," Samantha Fuld, spokesperson for the state Department of Health, said Wednesday. "These environmental findings — which further indicate potential community spread — in addition to the paralytic polio case identified among a Rockland County resident, underscore the urgency of every New York adult and child getting immunized against polio, especially those in the greater New York metropolitan area.”

There have been no confirmed cases of polio infection in Orange County to date, but an analysis of the wastewater reports shows that the virus is circulating in the community.

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"It is disheartening to see a resurgence of polio, a disease that was largely eradicated long ago," Dr. Irina Gelman, Orange County's health commissioner, said in a statement. "It is concerning that polio is circulating in our community, given the low rates of vaccination for this debilitating disease in certain areas of our county."

Last month, the first confirmed case of polio in the United States in almost a decade was found in Rockland County. While the disease has been largely eliminated in the U.S. through vaccination, the person who contracted it in Rockland County, identified only as a young adult, had not been vaccinated.

In the wake of the Rockland County diagnosis, state and local public health officials have been advising doctors and other medical practitioners to be vigilant about identifying potential cases of polio. There also have been efforts to increase polio vaccination in the region.

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Orange and Rockland counties both lag well below the state average in polio vaccination rates for 2-year-old children. The rates are 59% in Orange and 61% in Rockland, compared to a 79% overall rate for all 57 New York counties outside New York City, according to state Department of Health data.

The Orange County Department of Health is advising all providers to contact patients who are due for the polio vaccine, as well as any other age-appropriate immunizations, and to schedule appointments for those vaccinations as soon as medically practicable.

Health officials say polio is very contagious, and a person can spread it even if he or she does not have any symptoms. Approximately 72% of cases are asymptomatic, and about 25% will develop flu-like symptoms such as fever, nausea, headache and stomach pain. A smaller group can progress to things such as paralysis or meningitis. It can take up to 30 days for symptoms to appear, and there is no cure for polio.

Vaccination is the best way to prevent contracting the virus, health officials say.

The first polio vaccine was developed in the United States in the 1950s. According to the state Department of Health, those who are vaccinated are considered at lower risk of contracting polio. While most people receive the polio vaccination series in childhood, anyone who has not completed it, or is concerned that they might have been exposed to the virus, should be vaccinated as soon as possible.

Nancy Cutler and Chris McKenna contributed to this report.

Mike Randall covers breaking news for the Times Herald-Record, the Poughkeepsie Journal and The Journal News/lohud. Reach him at mrandall@th-record.com or on Twitter @MikeRandall845

This article originally appeared on Times Herald-Record: Polio virus found in Orange County New York wastewater