3 New Cases of Polio Detected in Israel

Israel has reported three new cases of children infected with polio, the Health Ministry announced on Thursday. The cases were discovered during an epidemiological investigation after an 8-year-old boy from northern Israel tested positive for the virus earlier this week. The ministry said the three children, who had close contact with the boy, currently have no clinical symptoms.

In March 2022, Israel experienced a polio outbreak, prompting an extensive vaccination campaign for people aged 17 and under. The ministry reported that the virus had stopped spreading in July. However, in recent months the virus has been discovered in sewage systems across the country. There are currently more than 150,000 children in Israel who have not been vaccinated against polio.

Polio is a highly infectious disease that can cause paralysis and, in rare cases, death. The World Health Organization is calling for increased efforts to eradicate the virus globally, with a goal of eliminating it by 2026.