Polio this week as of 20 March 2018

Polio this week as of 20 March 2018

• New on www.polioeradication.org: In Nigeria, experts from the frontline of polio eradication are supporting the Lassa fever response. Meanwhile, we asked what it takes to vaccinate every child in Afghanistan.

• Summary of newly-reported viruses this week: Afghanistan: Two new cases of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) have been confirmed this week, one occurring in Kunar province, and one in Kandahar province. These cases were advance notification last week. Pakistan: One new WPV1 positive environmental sample has been reported in Sindh province. Democratic Republic of the Congo: One new case of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) reported, from Haut Lomami province. Somalia: An advance notification of one new cVDPV2 positive environmental sample has been received, from Banadir province.

• See country-specific sections for further details.

Afghanistan

• Two new cases of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) were confirmed this week. One case occurred in Gaziabad district, Kunar province, with onset of paralysis on 14 February, and the other case occurred in Shawalikot district, Kandahar province, with onset of paralysis on 19 February.
• This will raise the total number of officially reported WPV1 cases in Afghanistan in 2018 to five.
• Supplementary immunization days were recently completed, with vaccinators aiming to vaccinate children across 34 provinces using bivalent oral polio vaccine (bOPV).
• Read the latest polio update from Afghanistan to see information on cases, surveillance and vaccination campaigns.

Pakistan

• No new cases of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) were reported in the past week.
• The total number of officially reported WPV1 cases in Pakistan in 2017 remains eight. There are no cases reported in 2018.
• The most recent case (by date of onset) was reported in Zhob district, Balochistan province, with onset on 15 November 2017.
• One new WPV1 positive environmental sample was reported this week, collected in Karachi Gadap district, Sindh province, on 15 February.
• Supplementary immunization days were recently completed, with vaccinators aiming to vaccinate children across six provinces using bivalent oral polio vaccine (bOPV).
• Read the latest polio update from Pakistan to see information on cases, surveillance and vaccination campaigns.

Nigeria

• No new cases of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) were reported in the past week.
• The total number of WPV1 cases for 2016 is four and no cases have been reported in 2017 or 2018.
• The most recent case (by date of onset) was reported in Monguno Local Government Area, Borno, with onset on 21 August 2016.
• Nigeria continues to implement an emergency response to the detected WPV1 strain and circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) strains affecting the country (last detected in 2016).
• The next immunization days are planned for early April, synchronized with campaigns in countries across the Lake Chad basin.
• As part of the emergency response, subnational surveillance continues to be strengthened.

Lake Chad Basin

• The detection of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) (Borno state, Nigeria in 2016) and circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) (Borno and Sokoto states in 2016) continue to pose a risk to the neighbouring countries of the Lake Chad basin.
• Emergency outbreak response efforts continue across the Lake Chad basin, together with activities to fill subnational surveillance gaps across the region.
• These activities include efforts to vaccinate children at markets, in internally displaced persons camps, and at international borders.
• The next set of supplementary immunization days are planned for early April, synchronized across countries in the Lake Chad basin.
• Read the latest polio update from the Lake Chad basin to see information on surveillance and vaccination campaigns.

Central Africa

• One new case of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) was reported this week in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The case was reported in Mulongo district, Haut Lomami province, with onset of paralysis on 31 January.
• This raises the total number of officially reported cVDPV2 cases in the DRC in 2018 to three. In response to the outbreak, the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) recently announced the cVDPV2 outbreak ongoing in the country a Public Health Emergency of National Concern.
• The Ministry of Health, supported by WHO and partners of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, remains fully committed to outbreak response, including use of monovalent oral polio vaccine type 2 (mOPV2) across the country, in line with internationally-agreed outbreak response protocols.
• Children living in the districts where the latest cases were reported were last targeted with mOPV2 during December vaccination days. The next campaign will take place following the completion of microplanning exercises to ensure high vaccination coverage during campaigns.
• Surveillance and immunization activities continue to be strengthened in neighbouring countries.
• Read the latest polio update from the DRC to see information on surveillance and vaccination campaigns.
• Learn more about vaccine-derived polioviruses through this short animation or this ‘Coffee with Polio Experts’ video.

Horn of Africa

• An advance notification of one new circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) positive environmental sample in Somalia has been received, collected on 22 February from Hodan district, Banadir province.
• Before this most recent advance notification, three cVDPV2s were isolated from two environmental samples collected in Hamarweyn district, Banadir province (Mogadishu), Somalia, one on 4 January, and one on 11 January 2018. These latest isolates are genetically linked to previously isolated VDPV2s from 2017, collected on 22 October and 2 November from environmental samples collected from Waberi district, Banadir province. In total, four environmental samples (with seven unique virus sequences) positive for cVDPV2 were collected in Somalia between October 2017, and January 2018.
• No cases of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) associated with this cVDPV2 have been detected at this time – the viruses were all isolated from environmental samples.
• Since detection of the initial isolates in 2017, outbreak response campaigns in line with internationally-agreed guidelines have been implemented, consisting of two large-scale immunization activities.
• Surveillance for AFP cases in the area is being strengthened, and planning for the next immunization campaign is ongoing.
• WHO and its partners are continuing to support local public health authorities in conducting field investigations and risk assessments to more clearly assess any potential risk of circulation of the identified cVDPV2, and to continue to support the outbreak response and strengthening of disease surveillance.
• Read our Somalia country page to see information on surveillance and vaccination campaigns. Learn more about vaccine-derived polioviruses through this short animation or this ‘Coffee with Polio Experts’ video.

The Middle East

• No new cases of circulating vaccine derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) were reported this week.
• The total number of officially reported cVDPV2 cases in Syria in 2017 remains 74.
• The most recent case (by date of onset) was reported in Boukamal district, with onset on 21 September 2017.
• Read the latest polio update from Syria to see information on cases, surveillance and vaccination campaigns.
• Learn more about vaccine-derived polioviruses through this short animation or this ‘Coffee with Polio Experts’ video.