Poliomyelitis: Transmission to Pakistan continues to be widespread, Iran reports additional environmental sample of PVS1

By NewsDesk @ bactiman63

In an update on the global poliomyelitis situation, at the twenty-first meeting of the Emergency Committee under the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR) concerning the international spread of poliovirus, the Committee unanimously agreed that the risk of international spread of poliovirus remains a public health emergency of international importance (PHEIC) and recommended the extension of temporary recommendations for an additional three months.

This decision was made on the basis of the increasing risk of international spread of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1), the increasing risk of spread of vaccine-derived circulating poliovirus (cVDPV), the immunity of the world population against type 2 polio virus (PV2), among others.

The Committee is gravely concerned by the significant new increase in the number of WPV1 cases worldwide in 2019, particularly in Pakistan.

During the past week, Pakistan reported two more cases of North Waziristan WPV1, KPTD and Dera Ismail Khan (DI Khan), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, bringing to 19 the total number of WPV1 cases in 2019.

According to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, the global total of WPV 1 is therefore 26.

A vaccine-derived type 2 circulating virus (VDPV2) was reported this week in Togdher, Somalia, bringing the total to two.

Positive environmental samples were reported in Pakistan – six environmental samples positive for PVV1; Afghanistan – a positive environmental sample for WPV1; Nigeria – two positive environmental samples for circulating type 2 poliovirus derived from the vaccine; Cameroon – a positive environmental sample for cVDPV2; and Iran – a positive environmental sample for WPV1.

In addition, two cases of type 2 poliomyelitis have been reported in the nomadic community of the Bambari health district, following the diagnosis of acute flaccid paralysis in one case, the second case also being a contact of the first, as reported by World Health Organization. Bulletin of the Regional Office for Epidemics and Emergencies in Africa.

The WHO is investigating suspected cases of poliomyelitis, using samples from confirmed case contacts, which were sent for sequencing to the Dakar and Africa Reference Laboratories. South.