Last month the WHO confirmed that samples taken from a child with acute flaccid paralysis case and three healthy children from the same community in Pidie district met the criteria for circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2). Vaccination campaigns have already begun in Aceh province and will be followed by others in nearby provinces that also have low vaccination coverage - North Sumatera, West Sumatera and Riau. In other polio news, all relating to infections which date from late 2022: a single cVDPV2 case each in Algeria (from Ouargla, a desert province hosting a university and petroleum industries) and the Central African Republic (Sanitary Region 6), 30 cases from the D R of Congo in South Kivu, Haut Katanga, Kasai Oriental, Tanganyika and Haut Lomami (the latter also reported two cVDPV1 cases), Sudan reported a patient in West Darfur and Yemen had one notification in Sanaa. Lastly, on Dec 30, the PAHO announced that vaccine derived polio virus type 2 (VDPV2) was collected from wastewater samples collected in Canada. The area concerned was targeted for surveillance due to its connections to New York communities (although no cases of acute flaccid paralysis have been detected). In the USA, as of Jan 6 the New York health department reported ‘101 positive samples of concern’ – 94 were linked with the confirmed Rockland County case; the remaining seven are not linked but characterised ‘as either a vaccine-derived poliovirus … or variants of the revertant polio Sabin type 2 poliovirus …’. Read more
Advice for travellers
Polio is a potentially serious viral illness that is spread through contact with infected faeces or saliva. The risk to travellers is generally low, however vaccination is recommended for travel to affected regions and is a requirement for travel to/from some countries. If at risk, adults should have a booster to the childhood series. More on poliomyelitis.
Before you travel, call Travelvax Australia’s telephone advisory service on 1300 360 164 (toll-free from landlines) for country-specific advice and information. You can also make an appointment at your nearest Travelvax clinic to obtain vaccinations, medication to prevent or treat illness, and accessories for your journey.