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Is there any way that propagation of polio related viruses is linked with reduced immunization rate? Like opening new "natural" reservoir for it to exploit/mutate in?

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I wonder if it is the other way around, with the elimination of polio making a disease that has similar impacts on many fewer people more visible.

Yes, that's good point. Before polio immunization all similar cases may have been attributed to polio directly and now that polio cases are filtered every such case stands out. Did not think about that.

The suspect isolates are NOT descended from any known poliovirus isolates.

Vaccines against polio do not cross-immunize against other enterovirus species. There are no vaccines against most of these "cold" virus.

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