The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued travel warnings for the United Kingdom, Germany, Poland, Finland and Spain, where cases of polio have been reported.
The level two warning does not advise against visiting the countries, but suggests travelers take “enhanced precautions.”
Poliomyelitis, which is more commonly known as polio, is a highly infectious disease caused by the polio virus where 75% of cases are asymptomatic.
Mild symptoms can manifest themselves as a sore throat and fever and in severe cases indications can prevail like headache, neck stiffness, and abnormal sensations — tingling, prickling, burning or numbness.
According to a story on dailymail.com, the polio virus can spread through airborne droplets from sneezing, coughing and feces and it can attack the nervous system — mainly cells in the spinal cord and brain stem.
And while the virus can remain silent for most people, severe cases can lead to muscle weakness and stiffness, spasms, trouble swallowing and full-body paralysis.
Polio can also paralyze the lungs and other muscles responsible for breathing, leading to death.
As a point of interest, polio was eradicated in the United States in 1979, some two decades after the polio virus was discovered by Jonas Salk — a viologist and biomedical scientist — in March of 1953 — and since that time there’s been only been intermittent cases that have surfaced in the United States.
The story on dailymail.com goes on to explain that polio has been detected in 39 total countries and territories within the last year, mainly in Africa and the Middle East, according to the latest CDC data.
Vaccines are routinely offered in the five European countries where polio is becoming widespread — but it’s unclear exactly where the virus was discovered.
The CDC’s level 2 travel advisory is prompting all Americans who are thinking of traveling to these countries to take “enhanced” protections — which translates into meaning being up to date on the polio vaccine or getting a booster ahead of travel.
And it recommends children and adult travelers to an at-risk region be sure to get a polio vaccine booster and to wash their hands frequently to prevent polio from spreading.
The agency said: “Before any international travel, make sure you are up to date on your polio vaccines.”
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