Polio News and Research

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Poliomyelitis (polio) is a highly infectious disease caused by a virus that invades the nervous system and can cause severe paralysis. The virus enters the body through the mouth and multiplies in the intestine. Initial symptoms are fever, fatigue, headache, vomiting, stiffness in the neck, and pain in the limbs. One in 200 infections leads to irreversible paralysis (usually in the legs). Among those paralyzed, 5-10% die when their breathing muscles become immobilized. Polio mainly affects children under five years of age. Naturally occurring polio was eliminated in the U.S. in 1979 and in the Western Hemisphere by 1991; however, worldwide efforts are continuing towards eradication of this contagious and devastating disease.

Five important things to know about polio

Public Health authorities have warned health care workers to be on the alert for polio, yet most physicians will not be familiar with presentation of this highly infectious, life-threatening disease.

15 Nov 2022

25 years on, varicella vaccination reports impressive success in the USA

New research suggests that 25 years on, varicella vaccination continues to report impressive success in the USA.

26 Oct 2022

Impaired SARS-CoV-2 neutralization after booster vaccination in the elderly

A recent study investigates poorer vaccine responses observed in the elderly following receipt of a COVID-19 booster vaccination dose.

19 Oct 2022

Scientists use enhanced environmental surveillance for poliovirus type 2 detection in London sewage samples

In a new study, researchers investigated molecular properties of type 2 poliovirus (PV) isolates obtained from sewage samples (SS) to detect PV transmission in communities.

17 Oct 2022

Advanced cryo-electron microscope reveals how poliovirus takes over human cells

For the first time, researchers at Umeå University, Sweden, can now show how the dreaded poliovirus behaves when it takes over an infected cell and tricks the cell into producing new virus particles.

12 Oct 2022

The role of wastewater surveillance for monitoring monkeypox

A new study reviews the advantages and current challenges associated with wastewater-based surveillance of MPXV.

10 Oct 2022

BU investigator wins highly competitive awards to study the role of proteases in regulation of cellular defenses

Mohsan Saeed, PhD, assistant professor of biochemistry at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM), has received a five-year, $2 million R35 grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, as well as a five-year, $2.5 million R01 grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

20 Sep 2022

Environmental surveillance detects poliovirus type 2 outbreaks in Israel

The wastewater environmental surveillance conducted in Jerusalem, Israel, has detected an increasing population of poliovirus type 2. Furthermore, these viral isolates are associated with vaccine-derived viral strains.

19 Sep 2022

United States joins 30 other countries with circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus

CDC today announced that polioviruses found in New York, both from the case of paralytic polio in an unvaccinated adult in Rockland County and in several wastewater samples from communities near the patient's residence, meet the World Health Organization (WHO)'s criteria for circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV) – meaning that poliovirus continues to be transmitted in Rockland County, NY, and surrounding areas.

19 Sep 2022

Study develops single-use microneedle patch tattoos with wide-ranging application potential

Researchers developed a rapid, sterile, and painless method of tattooing using single-use microneedle tattoo patches, which can be used for cosmetic and veterinary applications and storing medical information.

19 Sep 2022

Vaccine-derived poliovirus 2 detected in environmental samples in the UK and USA

Over the last few months, poliovirus 2 derived from the strain used in the Sabin vaccine (oral polio vaccine) has been repeatedly detected in environmental samples in the USA as well as in the UK. What does this signify?

15 Sep 2022

CDC Health Alert Network provides recommendations to manage the recent increase in severe respiratory illness among children

The US CDC’s HAN has provided certain recommendations to inform healthcare providers, infection control professionals, clinical laboratories, and public health departments about the recent increase in pediatric cases of severe respiratory illness in several regions of the USA.

14 Sep 2022

Study shows vaccine-derived poliovirus in infant with severe immunodeficiency

Researchers identified type 3 vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV) in an infant.

13 Sep 2022

The impact of the infant gut microbiome on vaccine efficacy

A new study reports the effect of the infant gut microbiome on vaccine efficacy.

13 Sep 2022

Pakistan faces widespread outbreaks of infectious diseases amid unprecedented floods

Amid unprecedented floods which have affected 33 million people and damaged nearly 900 health facilities, Pakistan faces the risk of widespread outbreaks of diseases, including diarrhoea, dengue, malaria, polio and COVID-19.

9 Sep 2022

‘He stood his ground’: California state Senator will leave office as champion of tough vaccine laws

A California lawmaker who rose to national prominence by muscling through some of the country's strongest vaccination laws is leaving the state legislature later this year after a momentous tenure that made him a top target of the boisterous and burgeoning movement against vaccination mandates.

6 Sep 2022

Polio News and Research

Further Reading

Five important things to know about polio

25 years on, varicella vaccination reports impressive success in the USA

Impaired SARS-CoV-2 neutralization after booster vaccination in the elderly

Scientists use enhanced environmental surveillance for poliovirus type 2 detection in London sewage samples

Advanced cryo-electron microscope reveals how poliovirus takes over human cells

The role of wastewater surveillance for monitoring monkeypox

BU investigator wins highly competitive awards to study the role of proteases in regulation of cellular defenses

Environmental surveillance detects poliovirus type 2 outbreaks in Israel

United States joins 30 other countries with circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus

Study develops single-use microneedle patch tattoos with wide-ranging application potential

Vaccine-derived poliovirus 2 detected in environmental samples in the UK and USA

CDC Health Alert Network provides recommendations to manage the recent increase in severe respiratory illness among children

Study shows vaccine-derived poliovirus in infant with severe immunodeficiency

The impact of the infant gut microbiome on vaccine efficacy

Pakistan faces widespread outbreaks of infectious diseases amid unprecedented floods

‘He stood his ground’: California state Senator will leave office as champion of tough vaccine laws

The most recent evidence about phylogenesis, pathogenesis, prevention, and treatment for monkeypox

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: The future of public health, 2022 edition

Updated guidelines on the Valneva SARS-CoV-2 vaccine

Exploring a paralytic poliomyelitis case in an unvaccinated person

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

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