Authorities recommend precautionary measures

Ministry strengthens controls after first case of polio in 15 years

The Health Ministry recommended Argentines to adopt measures to prevent a possible spread of poliomyelitis, a day after a case of the illness was reported in the City of Buenos Aires. It was the first case of polio in Argentina in the past 15 years.

Yesterday, the Epidemiology Department of Buenos Aires City notified that a child with flaccid paralysis was reported in a paediatric hospital. The hospital said the year-old child is stable, but reported the patient has an "uncommon illness," which exacerbated the paralysis caused by the polio.

"He was a boy from San Luis hospitalized after he sustained recurrent infections and a retard in his growth and development. The laboratory of the Malbrán hospital confirmed the case was poliomyelitis," reads a statement of the Health Ministry.

The ministry meanwhile ordered a "state of epidemic alert" and is spreading information to control possible cases of the illness, and reinforce vaccination tasks.