The Chicago Division of Public Wellness announced that the city’s wastewater surveillance system will expand to commence testing for poliovirus, with samples collected from reclamation plants that serve Chicago and the surrounding suburbs.

Whilst no case of polio has been identified in Chicago or Illinois at this time, city well being officials stated the expansion is a proactive measure to raise capacity to detect and respond to case of the virus.

The preventative measure is probably in response to the detection of polio in city wastewater samples in New York in July 2022.

Additional wastewater testing indicated that the virus was present in numerous counties with a low polio vaccination price, indicating that polio was probably circulating amongst the neighborhood communities.

Whilst city well being officials stated that wastewater testing can not reveal who is infected or how lots of persons are infected, it can help other information and surveillance procedures made use of to stop spread of the virus.

Officials later added that not every single detection of poliovirus will be trigger for concern.

“Nonetheless, if distinct strains of poliovirus are located in communities that have low vaccination prices, it can spread amongst unvaccinated folks, placing them at danger for becoming infected and building polio. Everyone who is unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated is at danger for building paralysis if infected with poliovirus,” a statement from the Chicago Division of Wellness stated.

CDPH Deputy Commissioner Massimo Pacilli stated that although polio was eradicated in the U.S. in 1979, final year’s detection in New York highlights the value of fast detection to stem any prospective future outbreaks.

Polio could lead to permanent paralysis of the limbs and is potentially fatal due to paralysis of muscle tissues made use of to breathe or swallow.

According to Chicago well being officials, most persons infected with the virus will not encounter any symptoms, although some will encounter flu-like symptoms.

A single in 25 persons who get infected with poliovirus will contract meningitis, although a single in 200 persons infected will turn into paralyzed, Chicago well being officials stated in a statement.

City well being officials reiterated that the danger of contracting poliovirus in the U.S. is particularly low, as most persons are vaccinated against the virus in their childhood, delivering protection against significant illness, like paralytic polio.

Analysis suggests that persons who are vaccinated against poliovirus as youngsters are probably protected by way of adulthood, Chicago well being officials stated.