The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has urged travelers to take increased precautions when visiting places such as Canada, the United Kingdom, Madagascar and Indonesia. Because of the poliovirus epidemic.
In its recently updated advisory, the agency identified 30 countries where travelers are at risk of the disease with a Level 2 notice advising travelers to “take enhanced precautions.”
the virus is eradicated It originated in the Western Hemisphere in 1994, but is also present in some polio-endemic countries and has been detected elsewhere in the world.
According to the CDC, poliovirus is circulating in the following destinations:
- Afghanistan
- Algeria
- Benin
- Botswana
- Burundi
- Cameroon
- Canada
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- Ivory Coast
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Djibouti
- Egypt (medical facilities, refugee camps, humanitarian aid facilities only)
- Ghana
- Indonesia
- Israel
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Mali
- Mozambique
- Niger
- Nigeria
- Pakistan
- Republic of the Congo
- Somalia
- Sudan
- Take out
- England
- Yemen
- Zambia
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If travelers go to these destinations, authorities recommend keeping children updated on their daily routines polio vaccine, fully renewed adults can also receive a one-time booster of inactivated polio vaccine. You may be required to show proof of vaccination when leaving the country.
Polio vaccination in the United States requires four doses for children and three doses for adults. fully vaccinated The CDC said fighting polio is the best defense against the virus.
more:Will polio spread like COVID-19? Experts say unlikely, but unvaccinated people still at risk
Polio is highly contagious and deadly disease It damages the nervous system. About 75% of polio cases have no recognizable symptoms. The remaining 25% may experience headache, fever, nausea, etc. about 3 to 6 days after exposure.
Rarely, paralysis can result from the disorder’s effect on the respiratory muscles and nerves. There is no known cure for polio.
According to the CDC, polio is a highly contagious virus that spreads from person to person through contact with the faeces of an infected person or droplets from sneezes and coughs. Another route of infection is through contaminated water. It can also be spread through contaminated food if hands are not washed beforehand or if a child puts an infected toy in their mouth.
The World Health Organization eradicate polio We will reach our goal by 2026 through a 35-year plan known as the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.
Kathleen Wong is a Hawaii-based travel reporter for USA TODAY. Please contact kwong@usatoday.com.
