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Wild poliovirus spreads from the Horn of Africa to South Sudan
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Three suspected cases of wild poliovirus type 1 have been found in young girls in South Sudan, according to a WHO press release.
The girls — two aged 2 years and one aged 8 years — had been previously immunized with oral polio vaccine.
The Horn of Africa is currently experiencing an outbreak of wild poliovirus type 1, with 174 cases in Somalia, 14 in Kenya and three in Ethiopia. South Sudan has been considered at high risk of re-infection due to the nature of previous outbreaks in the Horn of Africa.
Despite South Sudan’s previous efforts to immunize, plans for an emergency outbreak response are being finalized, including an immediate supplementary immunization activity in and around the infected areas. Additionally, a team of international experts is being sent to South Sudan to assist local authorities in further investigation.
According to a recent WHO update, multiple cases of acute flaccid paralysis have been reported in the Syrian Arab Republic. Initial results from the national polio laboratory in Damascus indicate that two of the cases could be positive for polio, but final results are unavailable at present. Syria is considered at high risk for polio due to the current situation in Horn of Africa.
WHO recommends all countries that are in contact with poliovirus-affected areas take note of cases of acute flaccid paralysis to detect any new developments of poliovirus.