Wild polio detected in Africa for first time in more than 5 years
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Malawi this week declared an outbreak of polio after detecting a case of imported wild poliovirus in a young child, WHO said — the first case of wild poliovirus reported in Africa in more than 5 years.
Africa was declared free of indigenous wild polio in August 2020 after going 4 years without a recorded case. Because testing showed that the new case detected in Malawi is linked to a strain from Pakistan, it does not affect Africa’s polio-free status, WHO noted.
“As long as wild polio exists anywhere in the world, all countries remain at risk of importation of the virus,” Matshidiso Moeti, MD, MPH, WHO’s regional director for Africa, said in a statement.
The incidence of wild polio has declined nearly 100% since 1988. It continues to be endemic in only two countries, Afghanistan and Pakistan, although only six total cases have been detected in those two countries since the beginning of 2021, according to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI).
The GPEI reported that the child in Malawi is a 3-year-old girl who experienced an onset of paralysis on Nov. 19 last year. It said the virus was genetically linked to a strain detected in Pakistan’s Sindh province in October 2019.
“Detection of [wild poliovirus] outside the world’s two remaining endemic countries, Pakistan and Afghanistan, is a serious concern and underscores the importance of prioritizing polio immunization activities,” the GPEI said in a statement. “Until polio is fully eradicated, all countries remain at risk of importation and must maintain high vaccination coverage to protect all children from polio.”
According to WHO, health authorities in Malawi have responded to the case with increased surveillance and supplemental immunizations, supported by WHO. Neighboring countries have also ramped up surveillance.
A GREI rapid response team based in WHO’s Africa office is deploying to Malawi to support efforts.
“Any case of wild polio virus is a significant event, and we will mobilize all resources to support the country’s response,” Modjirom Ndoutabe, MD, polio coordinator at WHO’s Regional Office for Africa, said in a statement.
References:
Global Polio Eradication Initiative. Afghanistan. https://polioeradication.org/where-we-work/afghanistan/. Accessed Feb. 18, 2022.
Global Polio Eradication Initiative. GPEI statement on WPV1 in Malawi. https://polioeradication.org/news-post/gpei-statement-on-wpv1-in-malawi/. Accessed Feb. 18, 2022.
Global Polio Eradication Initiative. Pakistan. https://polioeradication.org/where-we-work/pakistan/. Accessed Feb. 18, 2022.
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