poliovirus detected in Burundi and the DRC.
Authorities in Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have identified cases of vaccine-derived poliovirus. The Burundian government declared the situation a national public health emergency. Confirmed cases include a four-year-old boy in Isale district and two children who came into contact with him.
WHO and GPEI confirm cases
Five wastewater samples confirmed the presence of type 2 poliovirus circulating in Burundi, according to the OMS. The strain is different from wild poliovirus and infections occur when oral polio vaccine circulates among under-immunized populations.
The detections are related to the use of the new oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2), created to reduce this risk. Circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 was found in six children in Tanganyika and South Kivu provinces in the DRC.
Poliovirus vaccination campaign
Burundi will carry out a vaccination campaign in the coming weeks, with the help of the WHO and the GPEI, for eligible children ages 7 and under. The DRC also has a campaign scheduled for April.
"While the detection of these outbreaks is a tragedy for affected families and communities, it is not unexpected with wider use of the vaccine."
Said the GPEI in partnership with the WHO, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other global health organizations
The GPEI claims that 600 million doses of the new vaccine have been administered in 28 countries since March 2021 and reiterates that it is safe and effective. The polio outbreak declared by Burundi is the first in 30 years.
Immunization support and surveillance
WHO Regional Director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti, highlights the importance of acting quickly and supporting national efforts to increase polio immunization.
According to the WHO, “circulating poliovirus type 2” is the most common form of poliomyelitis in Africa and outbreaks of this type of poliovirus are the most common in the region, with more than 400 cases of “acute flaccid paralysis” recorded in 14 affected countries in 2022.
Poliomyelitis, a disease caused by the poliovirus, is one of the causes of acute flaccid paralysis, “defined as the acute onset of weakness or paralysis with reduced muscle tone in children,” according to WHO Africa.
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Picture: © WHO
