Polio Outbreak in Africa
Published:
Polio outbreak in Nigeria- spreading to other African countries
The World Health Organization has issued an alert regarding the ongoing polio outbreak in northern Nigeria.
The outbreak which is concentrated in Northern Nigeria has spread internationally to nearby countries in west Africa (Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali, Niger and Togo). In 2008, Nigeria accounted for 80% of type 1 polio cases in the world. The Nigerian health authorities are undertaking immunisation activities to provide oral polio vaccine (OPV) to children to prevent further spread of the disease.
From 2003 to 2007, type 1 polio originating in northern Nigeria spread to cause outbreaks in 20 previously polio-free countries, including across west Africa, the Horn of Africa, and as far away as Indonesia and Yemen. The outbreaks in these 20 countries resulted in 1,517 cases, and more than 500 million dollars (US) in international emergency outbreak response costs
Please click here for most recent map on polio cases from WHO.
HPSC recommendations for Ireland
- All cases of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP)*, particularly in children < 15 years of age, should be investigated and 2 stool samples should be sent to the National Virus Reference Laboratory (NVRL) for testing†.
- Travellers to areas where polio is epidemic or endemic should ensure that they are appropriately immunised.
- Polio vaccination is part of the routine immunization programme in Ireland. All individuals, regardless of whether they intend to travel should ensure that they have completed appropriate immunisation against polio.
*Acute flaccid paralysis has been defined as any case of new onset of hypotonic weakness in a child aged less than 15 years of age. This includes possible illness due to Guillain-Barre Syndrome, transverse myelitis, traumatic neuritis, viral infections such as Enterovirus 71, Echovirus, Coxsackie virus, toxins and tumours. All these causes of acute flaccid paralysis should be investigated. The non-Polio acute flaccid paralysis rate should be at least 1 per 100,000 children under 15. *Isolated facial paralysis is not included in the case definition of acute flaccid paralysis and does not require to be reported.
†It is strongly recommended to contact the National Virus Reference Laboratory in UCD for advice regarding the transfer of appropriate specimens immediately on admission of any child with acute flaccid paralysis, regardless of the cause of the AFP. Non-infectious causes of AFP are included in the surveillance required by the WHO.
In all cases of acute flaccid paralysis it is essential that two specimens of stool are collected taken 24 hours apart and within 14 days of the on set of paralysis. These stool specimens must be sent to the National Virus Reference Laboratory under reverse cold chain conditions to enable appropriate virological examination.
