WHO Confirms Polio Outbreak in Syria, Warns of Spread

It's the first confirmed outbreak in the country in 14 years

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The World Health Organization said Tuesday it has confirmed 10 polio cases in northeast Syria and warned that the disease could spread across the region.

The first confirmed outbreak in the country in 14 years surfaced amid the two-and-a-half-year civil war that has limited access to vaccinations and basic hygiene. Before the war, almost all children were vaccinated against polio.

The confirmed cases were found among babies and toddlers who were “under-immunized,” WHO spokesman Oliver Rosenbauer said. WHO, the United Nation’s health organization, is investigating another 12 cases in the country.

[AP]