Polio this week - As of 19 June 2013
It has been more than 12 months since Chad reported its most recent wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) case. All samples of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) cases from the previous 12 months still need to be cleared, before the country can be removed from the list of countries with re-established transmission of WPV. It is the only remaining country with such a classification, following success in Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) and South Sudan in stopping their respective re-established transmission. Chad continues to be affected by an ongoing outbreak of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2), and remains at high risk of renewed international spread of poliovirus from neighbouring Nigeria.
Rotary International‘s Annual Convention will take place next week in Lisbon, Portugal (23-26 June). More than 20,000 Rotarians from around the world are expected at this prestigious event. Polio eradication will feature highly on the agenda, as in past years. For more, please click here.
Eleven new cases of wild poliovirus were reported in the Horn of Africa this week (the bulk in Somalia). None of the new cases represent breakthrough transmission since outbreak response activities began. See ‘Horn of Africa’ section for more