New York Times: The Global Polio Threat, Back Again
“…Only two infectious diseases have ever been eradicated — smallpox and rinderpest, a viral cattle disease — but there were expectations that polio would soon join them. That hope dimmed this year when three countries where the polio virus was thought to be bottled up allowed the virus to be carried beyond their borders. … [E]xperts are concerned that the virus could now spread to a large number of polio-free nations that are torn by conflicts or have very fragile public health systems. In the meantime, vigorous vaccination efforts, backed by public and private donors, are clearly required in any nation with polio cases” (5/6).