Update 7/13/23 at 10:20 a.m. – The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services told Michigan News Source that “Oakland County was chosen in consultation with CDC due to history of vaccine preventable disease outbreaks. We continue to triangulate where we have existing wastewater monitoring programs, low vaccination coverage, risk of importation, and appropriate sewer sampling locations.”
OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is collaborating with local partners to begin wastewater testing for poliovirus in Oakland County. This comes after New York detected a case of paralytic polio in the fall of 2022.
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Although polio was eliminated from the U.S. in 1979, there have been a few occasions that cases have been identified in America including the unvaccinated man in Rockland County, New York who became paralyzed as a result of his infection. It was reported to be the first known case in the United States in almost a decade and the first in NY since 1990. Health officials think the virus originated overseas on a country that uses the oral polio vaccine.
After the discovery, New York pursued wastewater surveillance measures to keep on top of the potential danger from a more widespread outbreak. According to New York State “ongoing wastewater surveillance provides evidence of repeated poliovirus detections in sewage samples in the greater New York metropolitan area.”
In Oakland County, they will taking similar measures and testing the wastewater for any polio virus.
Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, MDHHS chief medical executive says, “Monitoring for polio in wastewater allows us to participate in leading technology that helps inform of potential risk, while vaccination also keeps our communities safe.”
The MDHHS says that poliovirus can often be shed in stool without an individual experiencing symptoms of illness, wastewater testing can provide valuable information on risk to the public and help determine if testing should be continued or expanded.
Wastewater data cannot be used to determine or identify who is infected or how many people or households are affected, but it can enhance understanding of poliovirus risk and help prioritize public health efforts to increase vaccination levels in nearby communities.
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Results from wastewater testing for poliovirus will be shared online as they become available. Wastewater samples dating back to March 2023 will be screened for poliovirus and Michigan will continue to test wastewater samples for poliovirus weekly. Sampling is expected to continue for up to six months and if no detections are discovered sampling may be discontinued.
Polio, or poliomyelitis, is a debilitating and life-threatening disease caused by the poliovirus. The virus spreads through person-to-person contact and can affect a person’s brain or spinal cord, causing paralysis or even death. There is no cure for polio infection, but it is preventable through safe and effective vaccination for adults and children. CDC recommends all children get vaccinated as part of the routine childhood vaccination schedules. Most adults born and raised in the U.S. were likely vaccinated as children. Unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated adults who are at increased risk of exposure should complete their polio vaccination series. They suggest that If you have concerns, that you ask your health care provider if you might need the polio vaccine.
The Oakland County Health Division is providing free polio vaccines for residents to protect themselves against the disease as the United States is now considered a country with circulating poliovirus.
