The presence of polio in sewage is spreading outside the Jerusalem area.
The Ministry of Health updates that the presence of the virus in Tiberias and Modi'in Illit was found in sewage monitoring.
This week, the virus was also detected in the sewer in Beit Shemesh and Jerusalem, after a 4-year-old girl from Jerusalem, who was not vaccinated, contracted the virus at the beginning of the month and developed paralysis.
According to the Ministry of Health, positive samples were found - suspicious of the virus in Jerusalem and the surrounding area in one unvaccinated child who had a positive culture and symptoms, another child not vaccinated with a positive culture but no symptoms and five unvaccinated with a suspicious initial examination and no symptoms.
The office is conducting further tests to confirm the initial findings.
So far, the polio vaccine campaign that began in Jerusalem about a week ago has vaccinated 11,785 babies and children.
One in a thousand
Polio is an infectious disease caused by the polio virus.
The virus is contagious and is transmitted from person to person (especially in children).
The virus enters the body through the mouth and is excreted in the feces.
The disease lasts a maximum of five days.
There are usually no signs of illness or only mild signs develop (sore throat, fever, weakness) and only one in a thousand people (who are not vaccinated) will develop symptoms symptomatically with paralysis.
There are also those who may develop meningitis.
There are two polio vaccines in Israel - a killed vaccine, given by injection into a muscle, and a live attenuated vaccine given by drops in the mouth.
The Ministry of Health emphasizes that the most important means of preventing polio is strict adherence to routine immunizations at the recommended time according to the guidelines of the Ministry of Health.
"The Ministry of Health again calls on parents to ensure that their children are vaccinated according to the Ministry of Health's vaccination routine and to vaccinate the children who have not yet been vaccinated as soon as possible," it was reported.
"The polio virus vaccine is the most effective and safe way to prevent infection with the virus and to protect against the disease."
Chairman of the Association of Public Health Physicians, Prof. Hagai Levin: "Once there is one case in Israel, it should be treated as if there is an outbreak and at least start an active vaccination campaign throughout the country."
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