Polio Re-emerges in Western Nations: Experts Warn of Potential Outbreak in Canada

Polio, an infectious disease that was largely eradicated in Canada nearly three decades ago, has re-emerged in some western nations, sparking concerns about a potential outbreak in Canada. Despite widely available and effective vaccines against the illness, disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccine hesitancy have left some Canadians vulnerable to the disease. The Public Health Agency of Canada has announced plans to test wastewater across the country for traces of the polio virus, and other countries are starting vaccination campaigns to deal with new cases.

Key Takeaways:

• Polio is a serious illness caused by a virus that attacks nerve cells in the spinal cord, leading to muscle weakness, paralysis, and even death in some cases.
• The first case of polio in Canada was reported in 1910, with waves of the disease continuing for decades, peaking in 1953 with 9,000 cases and 500 deaths reported.
• Polio is "very contagious" and can spread through fecal matter, coughs, or sneezes, and 90% of people who have the illness do not show any symptoms.
• Canadians receive vaccines for polio four times during infancy, from two months to 18 months, but vaccine hesitancy and disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic have left some vulnerable to the disease.
• The re-emergence of polio in western nations is thought to be due to imported cases, vaccine hesitancy, and unequal access to vaccines in poorer nations.
• The oral vaccine used in parts of the Global South contains a live version of the virus and can pose a risk to immunocompromised individuals.
• The inactivated polio vaccine used in the West is more expensive but does not contain live virus, and countries like Canada that have switched to this vaccine have been successful in eliminating the disease locally.

Statistics:

• 90% of children in Canada are considered vaccinated for polio, according to 2020 numbers from the Public Health Agency of Canada.
• The last polio case in Canada was reported in 1994.
• There have been 34 countries reporting polio cases by 2020, with the nature of the polio threat shifting due to vaccine hesitancy and disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The oral vaccine was used in Canada until 1995, with over 100 cases of paralytic polio reported between 1980 and 1995.
• The inactivated polio vaccine has been used in Canada since 1995, with no reported cases of paralytic polio.

Sources:

• Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC)
• Ontario Health
• Dawn Bowdish, professor of pathology and molecular medicine at McMaster University
• Dr. Sameer Elsayed, professor of infectious diseases and microbiology at Western University
• Colin Furness, infection control epidemiologist at the University of Toronto
• The Associated Press