End of Polio Seen in Americas Soon

Health officials predicted Thursday that polio will be wiped out in the Western Hemisphere this year, 35 years after the famous Salk vaccine began a dramatic battle against the crippling disease.

The incidence of the potentially deadly viral disease has steadily declined in South America and North America since the polio vaccine was introduced in the 1950s, the federal Centers for Disease Control reported.

In 1990, only four new cases have been discovered in the hemisphere, said Dr. Ciro de Quadros, author of the CDC report. “We are cautiously optimistic, but all indications are that we are going to totally eradicate this virus in the next few months,” he said.