Outbreak of poliomyelitis in Tajikistan in 2010: risk for importation and impact on polio surveillance in Europe?

Euro Surveill. 2010 Apr 29;15(17):19558. doi: 10.2807/ese.15.17.19558-en.

Abstract

On 23 April 2010, the World Health Organisation announced the confirmation of wild poliovirus serotype 1 (WPV1) in seven samples from children with Acute Flaccid Paralysis in Tajikistan, in the context of a multi-district cluster starting in December 2009. As of 28 April, 32 of 171 reported cases were laboratory-confirmed and most closely related to virus from Uttar Pradesh, India. This outbreak demonstrates the high risk that still exists for importation of wild poliovirus into polio-free regions.

MeSH terms

  • Communicable Diseases, Emerging / epidemiology*
  • Communicable Diseases, Emerging / prevention & control*
  • Disease Outbreaks / prevention & control*
  • Disease Outbreaks / statistics & numerical data*
  • Europe / epidemiology
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Poliomyelitis / epidemiology*
  • Poliomyelitis / prevention & control*
  • Population Surveillance / methods*
  • Portugal / epidemiology
  • Risk Assessment / methods*
  • Risk Factors
  • Tajikistan / epidemiology