http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp1104329
This article, “The Polio Endgame” discusses polio. Polio is not a problem in developed countries. The last recorded case was reported in 1999 from the US. Polio in the developing countries is not as big of a problem as HIV or other diseases, but different wild polio types are starting to appear and ultimately the developing countries are at risk. The authors of this articles have proposed a way to decrease the infection rates of the wild types of polio by, “Achieving a polio-free world will eventually require stopping routine immunization with OPV and eliminating vaccine-derived polioviruses (VDPVs), particularly circulating VDPVs, which are Sabin-strain viruses that have acquired both neurovirulence and the capacity to circulate.” The polio “endgame” has never really been able to be achieved till now. Shockingly, in all the chaos of all the other epidemics and pandemics around the world, polio may be once and for all be eradicated. Another issue would be to make sure that the viruses do not get out of the laboratory from the tests for this to be possible.
If polio were to start infecting a big mass of people, this would become a world problem. There are so many people who travel to other countries and go back to their homes. Also, people in the militaries would bring it back to their homes. Especially for Americans this is a risk. Afghanistan is one of the developing countries that would be most likely infected, and we have troops there. The men would be susceptible to this wild strain, and could bring it back. Ultimately, putting their families and friends at risk. If polio were eradicated for good, the world be able to check one thing of the checklist of problems.
It's weird to hear talk about polio because I have felt like it has been gone for so long. I didn't realize that it was still here and the risk is still out there to get to all these people. You make a very good point by talking about people traveling from country to country and all the military in other countries. With people being all over the world and coming back home, it will be able to spread super easily. If there is something that can be done to prevent it, then it should be done. There is no need to put all the developed countries at risk of such a major disease.
ReplyDeleteBringing diseases back to the US is a very important issue. I know when ever I travel from India back to the US, there are a lot of rules that need to be obey before coming back. Customs is very through and makes sure diseases don't come back. The idea that any disease that is eradicated in an developed country coming back is a huge concern. If the author has a solution to totally eradicating polio then it would be a really great thing.
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