Israel has detected its first polio case since 1989 in a 4-year-old boy in Jerusalem, according to an announcement from the country’s Ministry of Health.
Polio is a highly contagious disease that spreads from person to person or through contaminated water. It attacks the
and can cause paralysis. The disease typically affects children under age 5 and has been stamped out in most countries. There is no cure, but it can be prevented through vaccination.of the virus in Malawi in February, including a report of a 3-year-old girl who has been paralyzed. The strain was linked to a strain in Pakistan, where it is still endemic. It is also still endemic in Afghanistan.
Starting March 21, a nationwide vaccination campaign in Malawi will focus on nearly 3 million children under age 5, who will receive four doses of the oral polio vaccine. “The resurgence of the wild poliovirus in Malawi, decades after it was last detected, is cause for serious concern,” Rudolf Schwenk, a UNICEF Malawi representative, said“Vaccination is the only way to protect the children of Malawi from this crippling disease, which is highly infectious,” he said.Israeli Ministry of Health: “Polio Virus Detected in an Unvaccinated 4-Year-Old in Jerusalem.”: “First new polio case in decades diagnosed in Israel.”UNICEF: “2.