As if we didn’t have enough to worry about – what with war, Russia, nuclear dangers, climate change (and HEAT!!!!) – now we have medical issues that seem to be spreading around the globe.
The latest, after the COVID epidemic and the recent headlines about monkeypox, is a possible resurgence of paralytic polio.
Health officials in Britain have declared a “national incident” after the discovery of the polio virus in London, and they are concerned about a spread of the devastating disease.
They don’t know the source, but routine surveillance of sewage in the city picked up the polio virus. The fact that several virus samples were found in London raised the red flag, and more tests are being conducted.
The virus is believed to have originated from an individual who traveled to the country. It’s reported that genetic analysis suggests a common origin, likely a non-vaccinated person.
Officials say they want to find that person, but that seems like an almost impossible task, given that the wastewater treatment plant where the sample was found covers more than 4 million people. That’s almost half the population of London.
Most Americans don’t know much about polio. It’s not a new disease but it, along with others, are part of a resurgence of illnesses we thought were found only in Third World countries and were controlled in Western nations with immunizations.
With that consideration, we have been very lucky to have had access to vaccines to protect ourselves and our children. There actually are medical personnel today who have never seen a case of measles, chickenpox, mumps or other so-called “childhood diseases.” Our vaccination schedules have made those diseases rare, and for our children, and all of us, that’s good.
But the truth is that those diseases are rampant around the world in countries that don’t have access to the vaccines.
As a result, there are illnesses and lifetime disabilities and deaths that are a common part of their lives.
The concern about finding the polio virus in London is real. It’s the first time the virus has been seen there since the last case was diagnosed in 1983 and the country declared itself polio free in 2003. Keep in mind that before the introduction of the vaccine, there were up to 8,000 cases of polio every year in Britain.
Paralytic polio was rampant in the West from 1900 through 1950. Statistics show that it was at its’ height in the U.S. from 1950 to 1954. A total of 119,000 cases of the disease were reported, with 6,600 deaths.
The introduction of the vaccine made a huge difference. In 1954, total cases in the U.S. were down to 38,000 and by 1960 it was 2,525.
The disease spreads from an infected person who doesn’t wash their hands and who then touches food or water ingested by another. It can also spread in the air through exposure to coughs or sneezes from an infected person.
The early symptoms are like the flu, but the disease attacks the spine and the base of the brain as well as the lungs. It can affect the entire body with paralysis, and when it affects the lungs, breathing becomes difficult or impossible.
This aspect of the disease led to the development of the “iron lung” – a large container that the patient lies in, with only his or her head on the outside. The pressure in the iron lung literally helps the lungs to function. It proved a lifesaver for thousands. One of my high school classmates who got polio was in such a mechanism.
In fact, the Red Cross used to bring iron lungs to communities so people could see first-hand what polio was like for the patients. The patients were awake, and it was possible to talk with them. It was a moving experience for all of us, and a way to educate people about the disease.
The CDC today is concerned that there are children who have not received their regular immunizations because of the COVID lockdown. They may have missed their regular medical appointments and as a result are behind in their protection. The usual schedule is four doses of the vaccine at 2, 4 and 6 months of age plus at 4-6 years old. If this schedule is not met, the child is considered to be at risk.
One aspect of the London situation that is not being talked about is the fact that there are thousands of migrants from Third World countries passing through the U.K. as well as Western Europe. It is likely that most of them have not been vaccinated, and if they are infected with the polio virus, it could result in an epidemic of major proportions.
Whether those travelers would or could spread polio in the U.S. remains to be seen, but the possibility is there. Consider that monkeypox is spreading in the United States. California leads with more than 156 cases, New York with 22 and Illinois with 19. At this point we don’t know how to stop it or where it came from.
Is polio next?
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