Rockland health officials say polio was found in wastewater samples from June.  

The virus was detected in sewer district one, which serves large portions of Clarkstown, Ramapo and parts of Orangetown. There was no polio recorded from the Orangetown sewer district.

Officials tell News 12 that these samples were actually taken to monitor COVID-19, but health officials decided to check for the polio in light of the confirmed case. 

Officials say they will be monitoring and testing more samples this month to see if the virus is still circulating.

“At this point, its an indicator. A snapshot in time of what we already know, but we need to evaluate further the expansiveness,” says Dr. Patricia Schnabel Ruppert, Rockland County health commissioner.

Ruppert urges Rockland residents who are under-vaccinated or not yet vaccinated to get the polio vaccine.