Israel's Health Ministry on Wednesday reported that an unvaccinated 17-year-old boy from the Jerusalem area was diagnosed with polio.
The teen was hospitalized and suffers from paralysis, Israel Hayom added. The diagnosis of type 1 polio was confirmed in a Health Ministry lab.
The Jerusalem District Health Ministry office is conducting an epidemiological investigation to locate those who the teen came in contact with and refer them for vaccination, if they are not vaccinated.
Poliovirus can cause paralysis in children, including rendering the lungs non-functional. The virus has been eradicated in developed countries, thanks to widespread vaccination over the course of decades.
"The Health Ministry would like to remind the public that the main way to protect children from polio is through the inactivated polio vaccine (IPV). In addition, in order to prevent the virus from being transmitted, it is important to ensure proper handwashing."