Treyfish
Moderator
Date: Wed 9 May 2007
Source: Reuters Alert Net [edited]
<http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/SP273749.htm>
Myanmar battles 1st polio outbreak in 7 years
---------------------------------------------
Polio has infected 2 children in western Myanmar, the country's 1st
outbreak of the paralysing disease in 7 years, a senior Health Ministry
official said on Wednesday [9 May 2007]. A vaccination campaign would begin
next week in Rakhine State where the children lived in a township near the
Bangladesh border, the official said.
"We introduced necessary measures to control and monitor the spread. We can
say the situation is now under control," said the official, who declined to
be named. The outbreak of the type 1 wild polio virus [WPV] was the 1st
since Myanmar declared itself polio-free in 2000, the official said.
Polio retained a hold in parts of Afghanistan, Nigeria, Pakistan, and
India, with the latter being the likely source of reinfection in Myanmar,
the official said. "The virus strain was found to be type-1, the same as
the one found in India. It is believed to have migrated via Bangladesh," he
said.
WHO has called for a new drive to stamp out polio, which still infects
about 2000 people, mainly children, a year.
--
communicated by:
PRO/MBDS <promed-mbds@promedmail.org>
******
[2]
Date: Wed 9 May 2007
Source: Xinhua Net [edited]
<http://english.people.com.cn/200705/09/eng20070509_373144.html>
Myanmar cooperating with UN in combating fresh polio virus
----------------------------------------------------------
Myanmar is cooperating with WHO and the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) in
combating fresh polio virus found recently in the country's western Rakhine
state, an official newspaper reported on Wednesday [9 May 2007].
The polio virus, detected in Maungtaw area of the state, was spread from
some neighboring countries which still have the virus, the New Light of
Myanmar quoted a test result of the WHO lab as saying. Myanmar is taking
preventive measures against the virus by giving oral polio vaccine (OPV) to
people especially children under 5 [years old] in the state, the report
said. Long term cooperation would also be made between Myanmar and
Bangladesh, one of the neighboring countries bordering Myanmar's Maungtaw.
With regard to the matter, a UN delegation, led by Dr Julian Bilous, senior
adviser of the Polio Eradication and EPI Immunization Vaccine and
Biological of WHO and Dr Tadashi Yasuda, acting chief of UNICEF are
currently in Myanmar to discuss with the officials of the Ministry of
Health over the prevention measures.
In May last year [2006], a highly infectious polio, caused by a virus like
wild-type polio virus, was suspected in northern Myanmar's Pyin Oo Lwin
township creating a threat for a likely recurrence of the disease in the
polio-free South East Asian nation already recognized by a regional
committee 4 years ago.
The country selected the township as a central venue for launching its
biannual national immunization activities in last September and October
[2006] giving OPV to children under 5 [years of age] in 80 townships
surrounding Pyin Oo Lwin with the cooperation of the 2 UN organizations as
well as the Japanese embassy and non-governmental organizations.
More than 2 million children in the 80 townships scattered in Mandalay,
Magway, Sagaing, Shan, and Kachin divisions and states were covered. The
Myanmar health authorities have stressed the importance to continue working
towards a polio-free country despite enjoying the status since 2003. The
country has so far vaccinated at least 95 per cent of the children under 5
[years old], the authorities claimed. The last case of wild polio was
reported in Myanmar in 2000.
--
communicated by:
PRO/MBDS <promed-mbds@promedmail.org>
[The confirmation of a 2nd case of wild polio virus (WPV) associated polio
in Myanmar suggests there is circulation of the WPV in the region. (For
every paralytic case of polio there are an estimated 50 and 1000
individuals infected with the WPV, with an average of 200 infections for
each paralytic case). Information on the 2nd case is not as yet available
on the polio eradication website
<http://www.polioeradication.org/content/general/casecount.pdf>.
The newswires seem to suggest that the virus was genetically similar to
those seen in India, with a passage through Bangladesh. According to the
most recent information available on the polio eradication website, the
most recent confirmed case of WPV type 1 in Bangladesh had a date of onset
of 22 Nov 2006 and the most recent confirmed case of WPV type 1 in India
had a date of onset of 24 Mar 2007. More information on the WPV isolates in
Myanmar with genetic information on origin of the virus would be
appreciated. In addition, information on the number of additional suspected
cases pending laboratory results in Myanmar, and neighboring Bangladesh
would be appreciated. A good map of Myanmar can be found at
<http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/middle_east_and_asia/burma_pol_96.jpg> -
:tiphat: http://tinyurl.com/2cad3k
Source: Reuters Alert Net [edited]
<http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/SP273749.htm>
Myanmar battles 1st polio outbreak in 7 years
---------------------------------------------
Polio has infected 2 children in western Myanmar, the country's 1st
outbreak of the paralysing disease in 7 years, a senior Health Ministry
official said on Wednesday [9 May 2007]. A vaccination campaign would begin
next week in Rakhine State where the children lived in a township near the
Bangladesh border, the official said.
"We introduced necessary measures to control and monitor the spread. We can
say the situation is now under control," said the official, who declined to
be named. The outbreak of the type 1 wild polio virus [WPV] was the 1st
since Myanmar declared itself polio-free in 2000, the official said.
Polio retained a hold in parts of Afghanistan, Nigeria, Pakistan, and
India, with the latter being the likely source of reinfection in Myanmar,
the official said. "The virus strain was found to be type-1, the same as
the one found in India. It is believed to have migrated via Bangladesh," he
said.
WHO has called for a new drive to stamp out polio, which still infects
about 2000 people, mainly children, a year.
--
communicated by:
PRO/MBDS <promed-mbds@promedmail.org>
******
[2]
Date: Wed 9 May 2007
Source: Xinhua Net [edited]
<http://english.people.com.cn/200705/09/eng20070509_373144.html>
Myanmar cooperating with UN in combating fresh polio virus
----------------------------------------------------------
Myanmar is cooperating with WHO and the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) in
combating fresh polio virus found recently in the country's western Rakhine
state, an official newspaper reported on Wednesday [9 May 2007].
The polio virus, detected in Maungtaw area of the state, was spread from
some neighboring countries which still have the virus, the New Light of
Myanmar quoted a test result of the WHO lab as saying. Myanmar is taking
preventive measures against the virus by giving oral polio vaccine (OPV) to
people especially children under 5 [years old] in the state, the report
said. Long term cooperation would also be made between Myanmar and
Bangladesh, one of the neighboring countries bordering Myanmar's Maungtaw.
With regard to the matter, a UN delegation, led by Dr Julian Bilous, senior
adviser of the Polio Eradication and EPI Immunization Vaccine and
Biological of WHO and Dr Tadashi Yasuda, acting chief of UNICEF are
currently in Myanmar to discuss with the officials of the Ministry of
Health over the prevention measures.
In May last year [2006], a highly infectious polio, caused by a virus like
wild-type polio virus, was suspected in northern Myanmar's Pyin Oo Lwin
township creating a threat for a likely recurrence of the disease in the
polio-free South East Asian nation already recognized by a regional
committee 4 years ago.
The country selected the township as a central venue for launching its
biannual national immunization activities in last September and October
[2006] giving OPV to children under 5 [years of age] in 80 townships
surrounding Pyin Oo Lwin with the cooperation of the 2 UN organizations as
well as the Japanese embassy and non-governmental organizations.
More than 2 million children in the 80 townships scattered in Mandalay,
Magway, Sagaing, Shan, and Kachin divisions and states were covered. The
Myanmar health authorities have stressed the importance to continue working
towards a polio-free country despite enjoying the status since 2003. The
country has so far vaccinated at least 95 per cent of the children under 5
[years old], the authorities claimed. The last case of wild polio was
reported in Myanmar in 2000.
--
communicated by:
PRO/MBDS <promed-mbds@promedmail.org>
[The confirmation of a 2nd case of wild polio virus (WPV) associated polio
in Myanmar suggests there is circulation of the WPV in the region. (For
every paralytic case of polio there are an estimated 50 and 1000
individuals infected with the WPV, with an average of 200 infections for
each paralytic case). Information on the 2nd case is not as yet available
on the polio eradication website
<http://www.polioeradication.org/content/general/casecount.pdf>.
The newswires seem to suggest that the virus was genetically similar to
those seen in India, with a passage through Bangladesh. According to the
most recent information available on the polio eradication website, the
most recent confirmed case of WPV type 1 in Bangladesh had a date of onset
of 22 Nov 2006 and the most recent confirmed case of WPV type 1 in India
had a date of onset of 24 Mar 2007. More information on the WPV isolates in
Myanmar with genetic information on origin of the virus would be
appreciated. In addition, information on the number of additional suspected
cases pending laboratory results in Myanmar, and neighboring Bangladesh
would be appreciated. A good map of Myanmar can be found at
<http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/middle_east_and_asia/burma_pol_96.jpg> -
:tiphat: http://tinyurl.com/2cad3k