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Rotary International is committed to continue the eradication of polio campaign until the WHO declares polio is eradicated. By this it means the interruption of the transmission of polio viruses for at least three years, in the presence of certified surveillance and when all polio virus stocks have been contained.

Global position:

  WPV1 cVDPV
2018 to 21 August 2018
14 26
2017 to 22 August 2017 9 41
2017 full year
22 96
2016 full year
37 5
2015 full year 74 32
2014 full year 359 56

 The emphasis now is on:

  • Monitoring the date of the most recent onset of paralysis and the number of weeks elapsed.
  • The most recent positive environmental samples and the immunisation response.

Wild Polio virus: 14 cases in 2018

For polio-free certification purposes the start date for WPV monitoring is that of the onset of paralysis. For positive environmental samples the viral presence lasts for 7-14 days.

WPV1 - 14 cases

No WPV1 cases this week but four WPV1 positive environmental samples in Pakistan.

The most recent WPV1 cases in each country were:

  • In Afghanistan – 17 July 2018 – 5 weeks since the onset of polio.
    • 11 cases in 2018 vs. 6 cases at the same time in 2017. Total of 14 cases in 2017.
  • In Pakistan – 18 May 2018 – 13 weeks since the onset of polio.
    • 3 cases in 2018 vs. 2 cases at the same time in 2017. Total 8 cases in 2017.
  • In Nigeria – 21 August 2016 – 104 weeks since the onset of polio.
    • No cases in 2018. No cases in 2017. Four cases in 2016.

WPV2

  • Declared eradicated September 2015. (Last case was in October 1999.)

WPV3

  • No cases reported since 10 November 2012. (That was in Nigeria.)

Circulating Vaccine Derived Polio Virus - 25 cases in 2018

The virus is genetically changed from the weakened virus contained in OPV. Details of the most recent cases in each country are:

cVDPV1 - 4 cases

  • No further cases this week in PNG. The total in 2018 remains 4.

  • Onset of paralysis of the most recent case - 8 July. Previously 3 cases in 2016 (in Laos).

 cVDPV2 - 19 cases

  • In Nigeria: 5 cases in 2018. One case this week.
    • Onset of paralysis on 15 July 2018 – 6 weeks ago
  • In the DRC: 11 cases in 2018 vs. 22 cases in 2017.
    • Most recent case – 24 June 2018 – 8 weeks since the onset of polio.
    • Immunisation in neighbouring countries is being strengthened.
  • In Somalia: 3 cases in 2018. No cases in 2017.
    • Most recent onset of paralysis 10 July 2018 - 6 weeks ago.
  • In Syria: 0 cases in 2018
    • 74 cases in 2017. Arose after discovery of pockets of infection after the defeat of ISIS. There have been no cases since the outbreak last year.
    • Most recent case 21 September 2017 – or 46 weeks since the onset of polio.

cVDPV3 - 3 cases

  • In Somalia: 3 cases in 2018
    • Onset of paralysis for the most recent case was 23 May – 12 weeks ago.
    • The first cases since July 2013 when there was one in the Yemen.

Confirmation of cVDPV environmental samples in Kenya have not isolated the virus from any AFP cases or their contacts. Also, recent cVDPV2 samples in Nigeria and DRC.

 

Other comments (from the internet and other sources):

20 August, QUETTA:

The chairman of the Council of Islamic Ideology appealed to the religious scholars to help the WHO and other organisations eradicate the menace of polio from the country. He said that it was very unfortunate that some religious scholars had declared polio vaccines haram in 2001-02 which created hurdles in the eradication of this disease from the country, adding that the government had got conducted the tests of vaccines from reputable health organisations in KP and found nothing haram in them.

Parents’ misconception a major obstacle to polio eradication in Nigeria.

The Director of Disease Control and Immunization, Adamawa State Primary Healthcare Management Agency, made this observation during a Media Executives and Journalists against Polio review meeting held in Yola. The review was organized by UNICEF in collaboration with Adamawa State Primary Healthcare Management Agency. It was noted the sad development had caused a very low coverage and participation of parents for their children to be immunised, especially in the northern part of the country. Out of the 18 low coverage states in the country, 17 are in the North. “Misconceptions from some quarters remain a big challenge affecting immunization exercises. Therefore, media organizations have a great role to play in community awareness, to eradicate the polio virus in totality. Collective working synergy between the media, UNICEF and government for successful poliomyelitis eradication was called for. In separate remarks it was noted that the programme came at a right time. Assurance was given of a level playing ground with the organizations in creating awareness and sensitization of communities toward eradication of all child killer diseases.


Reg Ling

Rotary Club of Chandler's Ford and Itchen Valley.

Rotary District 1110 (Central Southern England, the Channel Islands and Gibraltar).

Rotary Region 19 (Southern England and Gibraltar) End Polio Now Coordinator.

24 August 2018

 

Polio is a highly infectious, crippling and potentially fatal viral disease which mainly affects young children. There is no cure, but there are effective vaccines. The strategy to eradicate polio is based on preventing infection by immunising every child until transmission stops and the world is polio-free. The source of polio virus transmission is infectious humans spread mainly through the faecal-oral route or, less frequently, by a common vehicle (e.g. contaminated water or food) and multiplies in the intestine, from where it can invade the nervous system and can cause paralysis. But, less than 1 in 200 infections leads to this. Of those paralysed, 5% to 10% die when their breathing muscles become immobilised.