• There have been 706 cases globally so far in 2010 (635 type 1 and 71 type 3), compared with 1 126 cases at this time last year (387 type 1, 735 type 3, four type 1/3 mixtures). 17 countries have reported cases in 2010, compared with 21 at this time last year.

The Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) is implementing new approaches to improve the quality and impact of eradication strategies. One critical step is to obtain complete and rapid data on Supplementary Immunization Activities (SIAs), so that mid-course corrections can be made if any gaps are found. To this end, the GPEI is exploring the feasibility of consolidating internationally-available independent monitoring data within 15 days of a Supplementary Immunization Activity (SIA). Available at: http://www.polioeradication.org/Independent_monitoring.asp

Helen E. Jenkins, M.Sc., R. Bruce Aylward, M.D., Alex Gasasira, M.B., Ch.B., Christl A. Donnelly, Sc.D., Michael Mwanza, B.Comm., Jukka Corander, Ph.D., Sandra Garnier, B.Sc., Claire Chauvin, R.N., M.P.H., Emmanuel Abanida, M.P.H., Muhammad Ali Pate, M.D., Festus Adu, D.V.M., Ph.D., Marycelin Baba, Ph.D. and Nicholas C. Grassly, D.Phil.

Full text, with graphics, is at: http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa0910074#articleTop

Background

The largest recorded outbreak of a circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV), detected in Nigeria, provides a unique opportunity to analyze the pathogenicity of the virus, the clinical severity of the disease, and the effectiveness of control measures for cVDPVs as compared with wild-type poliovirus (WPV).

 30/07/2010 from Oliver Rosenbauer, WHO/HQ:

Important step to achieving key 'milestone' of new Strategic Plan

An outbreak of polio which had affected the Horn of Africa has been successfully stopped, as no new cases due to wild poliovirus (WPV) have been reported in 12 months. The outbreak began in 2008, following the re-appearance of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) in the border area of southern Sudan and Ethiopia. In early 2009, the outbreak then spread to nearby Kenya and Uganda. In total, 101 cases occurred in these four countries between 2 March 2008 and 30 July 2009.