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Wild poliovirus remains threat in Nigeria
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Progress has been made in the elimination of wild poliovirus in Nigeria, but conditions there still pose a challenge to the global eradication of the disease, according to data in MMWR.
Nigeria is a reservoir for wild poliovirus, responsible for reintroducing the infection in 25 polio-free countries, according to CDC researchers. Northern Nigeria is particularly affected by outbreaks. In 2012, the Nigerian government launched a national emergency plan to eradicate polio.
Surveillance data indicate that the number of wild poliovirus cases in Nigeria dropped from 101 reported between January and September 2012 to 49 during the same period in 2013, but the case count remains higher than it was in 2010. For the first time, no polio cases were detected in the Northwest region of Nigeria. However, polio cases continue to be reported in the Northeast.
Thirteen local government areas in Nigeria in 2012 and seven local government areas in 2013 reported at least two cases of wild poliovirus.
According to the researchers, immunization efforts in Nigeria are beset by security problems — 13 health workers were targeted and killed in the states of Borno and Kano in February 2013, and terrorist attacks have halted vaccination programs in some regions. Additional obstacles to eliminating wild poliovirus include anti-polio vaccine sentiment and the poor performance of mass vaccination campaigns.
However, health officials are reaching out to community leaders to address anti-vaccination sentiment and the threat of violence, and strategies that include the use of mobile vaccination teams and intensified community outreach are being implemented to resolve the immunization gap among children who live in low security areas such as Borno.
“Despite these setbacks, Nigeria has made considerable progress toward polio eradication in the last 18 months,” the researchers wrote. “Successful interruption of [wild poliovirus] transmission will depend on a sustained focus on the issues raised and effective outbreak response.”
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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