Report of suspected polio cases in the Syrian Arab Republic - NGO reports 22 possible cases: October 22, 2013 - 10 cases confirmed WPV1, 12 pending

[Giuseppe]

[Source: World Health Organization, full page: (LINK). Edited.]


Report of suspected polio cases in the Syrian Arab Republic - 19 October 2013


On 17 October 2013, the World Health Organization (WHO) received reports of a cluster of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) cases in the Syrian Arab Republic.

This cluster of ?hot? AFP was detected in early October 2013 in Deir Al Zour province and is currently being investigated.

Initial results from the national polio laboratory in Damascus indicate that two of the cases could be positive for polio ? final results are awaited from the regional reference laboratory of the Eastern Mediterranean Region of WHO. Wild poliovirus was last reported in Syria in 1999.

The Ministry of Health of the Syrian Arab Republic confirms that it is treating this event as a cluster of ?hot? AFP cases, pending final laboratory confirmation, and an urgent response is currently being planned across the country. Syria is considered at high-risk for polio and other vaccine-preventable diseases due to the current situation.

A surveillance alert has been issued for the region to actively search for additional potential cases. Supplementary immunization activities in neighbouring countries are currently being planned.

WHO?s International Travel and Health recommends that all travelers to and from polio-infected areas be fully vaccinated against polio.


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[Shiloh]

Re: Report of suspected polio cases in the Syrian Arab Republic - 19 October 2013 (WHO, edited)

Re: Report of suspected polio cases in the Syrian Arab Republic - 19 October 2013 (WHO, edited)

Source: http://www.castanet.net/news/World/100892/Polio-potential-exists-for-large-outbreak


Polio: potential exists for large outbreak
by The Canadian Press - Story: 100892
Oct 19, 2013 / 9:00 pm

The World Health Organization says it believes polio has erupted in war-torn Syria, a dire development in the fight to eradicate the disease.

The Geneva-based agency says a cluster of more than 10 paralysis cases have been detected in Deir Al Zour province in eastern Syria, a contested area of the country.

The WHO's senior official for polio eradication says initial tests indicate polio is the cause, and efforts to address what could be a crisis situation are being geared up.

Dr. Bruce Aylward says the potential exists for a large scale outbreak that will take some time to bring under control.

That's because the collapse of health services during the civil war has meant there are young children in Syria who haven't been vaccinated.

Final confirmation may take a few more days, but Aylward says the WHO is assuming the worst...

 

[sharon sanders]

Re: Report of suspected polio cases in the Syrian Arab Republic - 19 October 2013 (WHO, edited)

Re: Report of suspected polio cases in the Syrian Arab Republic - 19 October 2013 (WHO, edited)

Apparently there is total chaos in this region. Here are the results of a google search for the area:

Military intelligence chief killed in Deir al - Zour Major Collector
Arab Net -Oct 19, 2013
Syrian state television announced the deaths of head of military intelligence in Deir al - Zour , Maj. Gen. Jamea after being shot in the head in the region of Deir ez-Zor ...
+ Show more

Dawn
Bombing deaths shake Jaramana Rural Damascus
SUMMARY -Oct 19, 2013
The brigade was in the Syrian military intelligence Jamea killed in Deir al - Zour , according to the official Syrian television reported in the clashes that took place in ...
+ Show more

SANA : Jamea Brigade killed in Deir al - Zour eastern Syria
Dar Al Hayat -Oct 17, 2013
According to the official Syrian news agency " SANA " that Major General in the Syrian military intelligence Jamea killed in Deir al - Zour eastern Syria . The agency said in a bar ...

Injury commander of the " Army of National Defense " in Deir ez - Zor shot in the " buttocks " !
Aksalser.com-9 hours ago
Media sources confirmed system belonging to the Commander of the National Defense wounded in Deir ez-Zor , " Hazim al-Shaalan " in the clashes in the city , and transferred to a military hospital .

Dozens dead in Aleppo and violent air raids and progress of the opposition in Deir al-Zour
Major -Oct 18, 2013
Dozens of people were killed yesterday in the bombing of the regular Syrian forces and clashes in the city of Deir ez - Zor ( east of the country ) and in the province of Aleppo (north) , at a time when active ...

Violent clashes in Aleppo and provide for rebels in Deir al - Zour
Island -Oct 18, 2013
Violent clashes continued between the elements of the Free Syrian Army and regular troops in the province of Aleppo, the north of the country and in the province of Deir al - Zour , which saw progress ...

Syrian television : the killing of a military intelligence brigade in the hands of the opposition in the ...
Masry al-Youm -Oct 17, 2013
... Jamea , died shot by the Syrian opposition militants in Der Zor . ... The prosecution of terrorists in Deir al - Zour , according to Syrian television description ...

Video .. assassination collector opens appetite Free Army in Deir al - Zour
Muslim -9 hours ago
Fatah killed General Jamea Jamea , head of intelligence in Deir al - Zour and known for his crimes against civilians and the Syrian opposition, the Free Army 's appetite for quality implementation of several attacks ...

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Report of suspected polio cases in the Syrian Arab Republic - 19 October 2013 (WHO, edited)

Re: Report of suspected polio cases in the Syrian Arab Republic - 19 October 2013 (WHO, edited)

via Taha Kass-Hout ‏@kasshout


Press Release - Diagnosis of Polio in Deir-Ez-Zor Governorate
19:55 Oct 18 2013 Deir ez-Zur, Syria

Aggregate Report (تقرير إجمالي) Summary Report (تقرير ملخص) Disease Spread/Epidemic (أوبئة)
Description
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

SYRIA - Confirmation of Polio Outbreak in Deir-Ez-Zor Governorate
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Several reports were received from District Level Officers (DLOs) of the ACU-run
Early Warning and Response Network (E-WARN), which covers the Syrian opposition-controlled
areas, identifying several of cases of suspected Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) in
the Deir-Ez-Zor governorate. AFP is a common indicator of acute polio, though it
may also be associated with a number of other pathogenic agents.

Based on the field outbreak investigation mission, the ACU Rapid Response Teams
(RRTs) have verified that of the 22 reported cases, all were children below 5 years
of age with symptoms consistent with the standard case definition of AFP. The cases
were distributed in several areas in Deir-Ez-Zor, and in the town of Sbeikhan in
particular. In order to confirm the causal agent, stools specimens were collected
and shipped to a WHO-compliant laboratory in Turkey, with facilitation from the
Turkish government authorities. One of the specimens tested positive for the wild
poliovirus. The Health Department of the ACU is currently engaged in developing
an urgent response plan concentrating on organizing an immediate mass vaccination
campaign and other appropriate prevention and control measures, in collaboration
with corresponding Turkish authorities, UN agencies, donors, and local institutions.

Polio is a highly infectious disease caused by a virus which invades the nervous
system and can cause total paralysis in a matter of hours, mainly affecting children
under 5 years of age. The infection transmits through contaminated stool which carries
the virus. Transmission rates are significantly higher in contaminated environments,
and in the absence of sufficient personal hygiene. Symptoms only appear in 1 out
of 10 infected people. Initial symptoms include fever, fatigue, headache, vomiting,
stiffness in the neck, and pain in the limbs. One in 200 infections leads to irreversible
paralysis (usually in the legs). Among those paralyzed, 5% to 10% die from the immobilization
of their breathing muscles.

There is no cure for polio, but infection can be prevented. Polio vaccines, given
in successive intervals, can protect an individual for life. In addition, ensuring
safe drinking water, environmental hygiene and promotion of personal hygienic practices
like frequent hand washing, can also limit the spread of the virus.
for more information please contact: info@acu-sy.org
https://syriatracker.crowdmap.com/reports/view/3937

 

[sharon sanders]

Re: Report of suspected polio cases in the Syrian Arab Republic - 19 October 2013 (WHO, edited)

Re: Report of suspected polio cases in the Syrian Arab Republic - 19 October 2013 (WHO, edited)

Apparently the source is a human rights NGO on the resistance side of the civil war.

About the ACU
The Assistance Coordination Unit (ACU) was formed in December 2012 by the National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces (Etilaf) to coordinate urgently needed assistance to all those affected by the humanitarian crisis in Syria.
The ACU coordinates the delivery of aid impartially to all Syrians regardless of ethnicity, religion, or political beliefs, in line with international standards and human rights principles that aid should be given on the basis of need alone.
Since its inception, the ACU has worked to facilitate and direct the delivery of urgent humanitarian supplies, including medicine and food, to towns and cities across Syria.
The ACU works with local councils and local aid groups, international donors and aid agencies, and international and local NGOs to identify areas of need and link donors with actors on the ground. The ACU has also played an important role in highlighting Syria?s urgent humanitarian needs, producing professional and high-quality technical assessments for humanitarian and relief needs.

http://acu-sy.org/84/Who-we-are/About-ACU/

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Report of suspected polio cases in the Syrian Arab Republic - NGO reports 22 possible cases: October 22, 2013

Re: Report of suspected polio cases in the Syrian Arab Republic - NGO reports 22 possible cases: October 22, 2013

Polio outbreak confirmed in northeast Syria, WHO says

GENEVA | Tue Oct 29, 2013 6:00am EDT
Oct 29 (Reuters) - A polio outbreak has been confirmed among young children in northeast Syria, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Tuesday.

"Out of those 22 being investigated, 10 are now confirmed to be polio type one," WHO spokesman Oliver Rosenbauer told a news briefing in Geneva. Laboratory results were still being awaited on the remaining 12 suspected cases in Deir al-Zor, he said.
...
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/10/29/syria-crisis-polio-idUSL5N0IJ1DV20131029

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Report of suspected polio cases in the Syrian Arab Republic - NGO reports 22 possible cases: October 22, 2013 - 10 cases confirmed WPV1, 12 pending

Polio in the Syrian Arab Republic

29 OCTOBER 2013 - Following reports of a cluster of 22 acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) cases on 17 October 2013 in the Syrian Arab Republic, wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) has been isolated from ten of the cases under investigation. Final genetic sequencing results are pending to determine the origin of the isolated viruses. Wild poliovirus had not been detected in the Syrian Arab Republic since 1999.

Most of the cases are very young (below two years of age), and were un- or under-immunized. Estimated immunization rates in the Syrian Arab Republic declined from 91 percent in 2010 to 68 percent in 2012.

Even before this laboratory confirmation, health authorities in the Syrian Arab Republic and neighbouring countries had begun the planning and implementation of a comprehensive outbreak response. On 24 October 2013, an already-planned large-scale supplementary immunization activity (SIA) was launched in the Syrian Arab Republic to vaccinate 1.6 million children against polio, measles, mumps and rubella, in both government-controlled and contested areas.

Implementation of an SIA in Deir Al Zour province commenced promptly when the first ?hot cases? were reported. Larger-scale outbreak response across the Syrian Arab Republic and neighbouring countries is anticipated to begin in early November 2013, to last for at least six to eight months depending on the area and based on evolving epidemiology.

Given the current situation in the Syrian Arab Republic, frequent population movements across the region and subnational immunity gaps in key areas, the risk of further international spread of wild poliovirus type 1 across the region is considered to be high. A surveillance alert has been issued for the region to actively search for additional potential cases.

WHO?s International Travel and Health recommends that all travellers to and from polio-infected areas be fully vaccinated against polio
http://www.who.int/csr/don/2013_10_29/en/index.html