06 Dec 2024 | 10:47 AM UTC
Afghanistan: Confirmed wild poliovirus type 1 cases reported in multiple areas in early December
Confirmed wild poliovirus type 1 cases reported in multiple areas in Afghanistan in early December. Confirm vaccination.
Health officials have reported confirmed wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) cases across multiple areas in Afghanistan, with 25 confirmed cases reported Jan. 1-Dec.1. This is compared to six cases reported 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 Dec. 6.
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 only two countries where wild poliovirus type 1 is still endemic. The third-dose poliomyelitis vaccination coverage in Afghanistan was 68 percent in 2023, which is below the WHO recommended target of 90 percent for preventing transmission. In previous years, there were 308 cases in 2020, 43 cases in 2021, 2 cases in 2022, and 6 cases in 2023.
Cases of cVDPV are a rare result of widespread vaccination using oral polio vaccine (OPV), which contains a live but weakened strain of poliovirus. When a child is immunized with OPV, the weakened vaccine-virus replicates in the intestine for a limited time, leading to the development of antibodies. In areas of inadequate sanitation, vaccine-virus excreted by these children can spread in the community.
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). The virus is shed by infected people 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 from 4–35 days. 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; it can only be prevented by immunization.
