Polio Cases Confirmed in African Countries

The Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) recently reported three African countries confirmed additional vaccine-derived polio cases last week.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) reported one case of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 1 (cVDPV1) in Haut Lomami.

There are now 29 cVDPV1 cases reported in 2022.

And the DRC confirmed six cases of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2), bringing the number of cases reported in 2022 to 160. There were 28 cases in 2021.

The countries of Niger and Nigeria each reported a single case of cVDPV2.

In Niger, there are now 11 cases in 2022, compared with 18 in 2021.

Nigeria's case was recorded in Borno, raising the yearly total to 37 cases this year. There were 415 cases reported in 2021.

To notify international travelers of their potential health risks, the U.S. CDC issued a Global Polio Alert - Level 2, Practice Enhanced Precautions, on September 26, 2022.

Before traveling to any at-risk destination, the CDC recommends that adults who previously completed the full, routine polio vaccine series receive a single, lifetime booster dose of the IPV polio vaccine.

In the U.S., polio vaccines are generally available at clinics and travel pharmacies.

Additional poliovirus detections in New York and London news are posted at PrecisionVaccinations.com/Polio.