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DR Congo: Polio Outbreak - Feb 2018

Disaster description

On 13 February 2018, the Ministry of Health of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) declared the ongoing outbreak of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus in the country a national public health emergency. A total of 21 children presenting with typical acute accid paralysis (AFP) tested positive for vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cPVDV2) at the Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale (INRB) in Kinshasa and the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), South Africa. The outbreak has been ongoing since February 2017 and the date of onset of paralysis in the last case was 3 December 2017. Three provinces have been affected, namely Haut-Lomami (8 cases), Maniema (2 cases) and Tanganyika (11 cases). The confirmed cases are distributed across seven health zones in the three provinces Haut-Lomami [Mukanga (3 cases), Butumba (2 cases), Lwamba (2 cases) and Malemba Nkulu (1 case)], Maniema Province [Kunda (2 cases)] and Tanganyika Province [Ankoro (7 cases) and Manono (4 cases). The [DRC] has not reported wild poliovirus in the last seven years. The country reported the last case of wild polio virus on 20 December 2011, when a single case was confirmed in the Lusangl Health Zone in Maniema Province. (WHO, 16 Feb 2018)

The anti-polio campaigns, scheduled for 26-28 April and 10 -12 May 2018, are targeting 1,531,321 children aged 0 to 59 months in 34 health zones of 4 provinces [-] Haut-Katanga, Lomami, Haut-Lomami and Tanganyika provinces, and the DRC RC intends to contribute in 3 of the 4 provinces, namely Haut-Lomami, Lomami and Tanganyika provinces. (IFRC, 23 Apr 2018)

Three new cases of [cVDPV2] were reported in the past week in [DRC]. One in Mongala province with onset on 26 April, a second one in Ituri province with onset on 5 May and a third one in Haut Katanga with onset on 14 May. The total number of officially reported cVDPV2 cases in the DRC in 2018 is 7. (GPEI, 26 Jun 2018)

The latest case of cVDPV2 was reported from Gethy Zone, Ituri Province, from an AFP case with onset of paralysis on 5 May 2018. As of 29 June 2018, a total of 28 cases with onest in 2017 (22 cases) and 2018 (6 cases) have been confirmed. Six provinces have been affected, namely Haut-Lomami (9 cases), Maniema (2 cases), Tanganyika (14 cases), Haut Katanga (1 case), Mongala (1 case), and Ituri (1 case). (WHO, 6 Jul 2018)

The latest case of cVDPV2 was reported from Bumba Health Zone, Mongala Province. As of 5 October 2018, a total of 37 cases with onset in 2017 (22 cases) and 2018 (15 cases) have been confirmed. Six provinces have been affected, namely Tanganyika (15 cases), Haut-Lomami (9 cases), Mongala (8 cases), Maniema (2 cases), Haut Katanga (2 cases), and Ituri (1 case). The outbreak has been ongoing since February 2017. (WHO, 05 Oct 2018)

As of October 2018, genetically-linked [cVDPV2] isolates were detected in two cases from Haut-Katanga province (Mufunga-Sampwe district)...This is the fourth distinct outbreak of cVDPV2 detected in the country since June 2017. In total, 42 cVDPV2 cases have now been confirmed since detection of the first outbreak in June 2017, 20 cases of which were detected in 2018. (WHO, 9 Jan 2019)

On 25 June 2019, the Global Polio Laboratory Network (GPLN) notified WHO of two new confirmed cases of genetically-distinct [cVDPV2] in Kasai Province... In a related but separate event reported on 24 June 2019, two cases of genetically-linked cVDPV2 were isolated from two AFP cases in Sankuru Province...Since the beginning of 2018, a total of 25 cases of cVDPV2 have been reported from seven provinces across [DRC], namely; Mongala (11 cases), Haut Katanga (4 cases), Kasai (3 cases), Haut Lomami (2 cases), Sankuru (2 cases), Tanganyika (2 cases), and Ituri (1 case). (WHO, 30 Jun 2019)

No new case of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) was reported this week. There are 31 reported cases of cVDPV2 in 2019. There were 20 cVDPV2 cases reported in 2018. DRC is currently affected by nine separate cVDPV2 outbreaks; one each originated in Haut Katanga, Mongala, Sankuru, Tanganika, Tshopo, Kasai, Kasai Central, and two in Haut Lomami provinces. (WHO, 29 Sep 2019)

Eight new cases of cVDPV2 were reported this week from Sankuru (2), Kwilu (2), Kwango (2), Haut Lomami (1), and Kongo Central (1) provinces. There are 64 cVDPV2 cases in 2019 reported from Sakuru (21), Haut Lomami (18), Kasai (8), Kwilu (8), Kwango (5), Haut Katanga (2), Tshuapa (1), and Kongo Central (1) provinces. There were 20 cases of cVDPV2 reported in 2018. (WHO, 19 Dec 2019)

No new cases of cVDPV2 were reported this week. There were 85 cVDPV2 cases reported in 2019 and 20 in 2018 (WHO, 15 Mar 2020)

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