28 Aug 2024 | 09:24 PM UTC
Afghanistan: Confirmed wild poliovirus type 1 cases reported in multiple areas as of late August
Confirmed wild poliovirus type 1 cases reported in multiple areas in Afghanistan as of late August. Confirm vaccination.
Health officials have reported confirmed wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) cases across multiple areas in Afghanistan as of late August, with 17 confirmed cases reported Jan. 1-Aug. 28. This is compared to five cases reported over a similar period in 2023. Multiple provinces have reported cases, including Kandahar, Helmand, and Uruzgan. The Global Polio Eradication Initiative is focusing on improving vaccination coverage among children in Afghanistan, strengthening surveillance, and maintaining political commitment, financial resources, and technical support at all levels. This report represents the most complete data available as of Aug. 28.
Visit a doctor to receive a precautionary polio booster before traveling to Afghanistan, as even mildly symptomatic or asymptomatic people are infectious. Practice basic food and water precautions: drink only boiled, bottled, or purified water, and ensure that food is properly prepared and served hot.
Afghanistan is one of the only two countries where polio is endemic, the other being Pakistan. In addition to the WPV1 cases identified this year, WPV1 was detected in 66 environmental samples. Health authorities reported six WPV1 cases in Afghanistan in 2023, two cases in 2022, four cases in 2021, and 56 cases in 2020.
Polio is highly infectious and is transmitted from person to person, spread through the fecal-oral route or by a common vehicle (e.g., contaminated water or food). Infected people shed the virus through feces, where it can spread quickly, especially in areas with poor hygiene and sanitation systems. Symptoms typically appear 7-10 days after infection but can develop 4-35 days after infection. Up to 90 percent of those infected experience no or mild symptoms, but in the remaining proportion of cases, the virus causes paralysis, usually of the legs, which is most often permanent. Among those cases, 5-10 percent die when the respiratory muscles become affected. The risk of paralysis increases with age. There is no specific treatment or cure for polio; immunization can only prevent it.
