The World Health Organization says the resurgence of polio is now an international emergency. According to the global body, this activity of ongoing outbreaks will eradicate the 30 year effort to eradicate the disease and cause a crippling public health crisis. Polio invariably strikes children and is a water borne viral infection.
To date the disease has been spreading rapidly through Asia, Africa and the Middle East and is being categorized as “extraordinary” by WHO. This is considered unusual as this time of year since it is not the peak season for any polio outbreaks. As of the end of April, WHO declared that they were 68 confirmed cases of polio with only 24 for the same corresponding period in 2013.
The disease has shown up in at least ten countries forcing WHO to consider naming it an international public health emergency. With its arrival in Syria, there are fears that the virus would spread as those fleeing the war-ravaged city would attempt to leave the country not knowing that they were infected.
“Until it is eradicated, polio will continue to spread internationally, find and paralyze susceptible kids,” said Dr. Bruce Aylward, who leads WHO’s polio efforts, during a press briefing.
BBC announced today that the virus has turned up in Somalia, Syria and Iraq and UN and other peacekeeping forces were forced to flee in some countries including Pakistan, making it more difficult to address the disease in countries experiencing conflict. Since then polio has been identified in the sewage in the Gaza and other Middle Eastern areas. To date the disease has been identified in Pakistan, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Afghanistan, Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, Somalia, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Kenya as well. Many polio workers have been killed in Pakistan while attempting to treat and vaccinate citizens there. Some people have accused the polio workers as having been there as spies for the Western world.
WHO officials are also concerned that polio may turn up in any war-torn area from the Ukraine to the Central African Republic and Sudan as well as places without wastewater plants or where unsanitary water exists and is used as potable water.
Officials also worry countries torn by conflict, such as Ukraine, Sudan and the Central African Republic are rife for polio reinfection.
“For the past two years, problems have steadily, and now rapidly mounted,” said Dr. Donald A. Henderson according to news reports, “It is becoming apparent that there are too many problems (for the polio eradication effort) to overcome, however many resources are assigned.”
Should polio spread, Countries may be forced to issue certificates for travel from polio infected regions to other countries and this may pose nightmares for tourism as well. However, of greater import is the health of our populations across the Globe.
