New York has declared a state disaster emergency over polio after the virus turned up in wastewater on Long Island.
Health authorities say the sample collected in August from Nassau County has been genetically linked to the case of paralytic polio previously identified in Rockland County, further evidence of expanding community spread. All samples reported are samples of concern, meaning they are types of poliovirus that can cause paralysis in humans.Health officials say polio samples have been found in the wastewater of Sullivan County.
Health officials say the virus also can spread through droplets from an infected person's cough or sneeze, though that is less common.According to the Centers for Disease Control, roughly 1 out of 4 people with poliovirus infections will have flu-like symptoms that can include: