Re: Tajikistan hit by deadly polio outbreak: WHO
http://www.promedmail.org/pls/otn/f..._BACK_PAGE,F2400_P1001_PUB_MAIL_ID:1000,82388
Archive Number 20100423.1314
Published Date 23-APR-2010
Subject PRO/EDR> Poliomyelitis - Worldwide (03): Tajikistan, RFI
POLIOMYELITIS - WORLDWIDE (03): TAJIKISTAN, REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
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International Society for Infectious Diseases
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In this posting:
[1] Subscriber query
[2] Russian language newswire
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[1] Subscriber query
Date: Thu 22 Apr 2010
From: Mick Mulders <mick.mulders@gmail.com>
Subject: Polio outbreak in Tajikistan
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Any news about this outbreak? First time since 1998 in polio-free declared
WHO European Region.
--
Dr Mick Mulders
<mick.mulders@gmail.com>
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[2] Russian language newswire
Date: Thu 22 Apr 2010
Source: RIA (Russian News & Information Agency) Novosti [in Russian,
machine trans., edited]
<http://www.rian.ru/society/20100422/225589803.html>
Russia is ready to help Tajikistan in the fight against the polio outbreak
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In response to an outbreak of polio reported in Tajikistan, Russia is ready
to help neighbors in the CIS and, if necessary, take protective measures,
the state chief sanitary inspector Dr Gennady Onishchenko told RIA Novosti
on Thursday [22 Apr 2010].
"Today we learned from the World Health Organization (WHO), that there were
more than 100 cases of polio in Tajikistan, including one death. In
addition, they are not localized to one place, but have occurred in several
cities -- for example, in Dushanbe and Leninskiye -- Onishchenko said.
According to Onishchenko, the 1st cases were registered in Tajikistan in
December 2009, and the Russian Polio Institute helped process specimens
taken from patients. Recently, however, the outbreak has become more
dynamic. [The laboratory testing] has confirmed that the cases are due to
wild poliovirus, not the same strain contained in the polio vaccine, said
Onishchenko.
"
The [occurrence of an] outbreak suggests that the collective ["herd"]
immunity is faltering. Most likely, there were shortcomings in vaccination
[decreases in vaccination coverage]. We now make the [offer of assistance]
directly to Tajikistan and the CIS and, depending on the outcome, we will
take possible measures to help," he said. According to Onishchenko,
Russian
scientists who had experience with outbreaks of polio in India, have
already traveled to Tajikistan.
"Let us understand what to do in our country. Some quarantine measures
introduced do not have much meaning, but, depending on how events will
unfold, we will take action on its territory," said Onishchenko. "We will
give guidance to our services on the ground that they [should be]
particularly careful when handling citizens of Tajikistan, especially
children," he added.
The head of Rospotrebnadzor [Federal Service for Consumer Affairs and Human
Welfare] was concerned about the situation of poliomyelitis in Tajikistan.
"There has been a breach in the defense, which has practically been formed.
There have been polio outbreaks associated with African countries and
Afghanistan. Now Tajikistan has been added to the list," said Onishchenko.
Poliomyelitis -- an acute infectious disease, children's spinal paralysis,
caused by a lesion of the gray matter of the spinal cord is characterized
mainly by disorders of the nervous system. Introduction of vaccines that
prevent polio, led to rapid reductions in morbidity, and in many areas, the
complete elimination of the disease. For example, Russia since 2002, is a
country free of the virus.
[byline: Alexei Nikolsky]
--
communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[As of Tue 20 Apr 2010, the above mentioned outbreak of polio has not been
reported on the polio eradication website (see
<http://www.polioeradication.org/casecount.asp>). In 2010 to date a total
of 71 cases of polio have been confirmed in the world of which 42 were in
endemic countries [India (19), Pakistan (13), Afghanistan (8), and Nigeria
(2)] and 29 were in non-endemic countries [Senegal (13), Chad (7),
Mauritania (4), Liberia (1), Sierra Leone (1), Angola (1), and Nepal (1)].
From the newswire above, it appears as though there has been significant
wild poliovirus (WPV) transmission in Tajikistan since sometime in December
2009, with the stated "more than 100 cases". (For every paralytic case
identified, there are between 50 and 1000 infected individuals without
paralytic disease, which allows for a somewhat "silent" transmission of the
virus over significant geographic areas).
If the report above is true and not exaggerated, this represents a
significant setback for polio eradication activities in Asia. According to
the WHO website, the last confirmed case of polio in Tajikistan was in
1997, but it was apparently due to a vaccine virus, as there have been no
WPVs confirmed in Tajikistan since 1996 (see
<http://www.who.int/immunization_monitoring/en/diseases/poliomyelitis/afpextract.cfm>).
For a the interactive HealthMap/ProMED map of Tajikistan, see
<http://healthmap.org/r/01dJ>. Tajikistan shares a southern border with
Afghanistan, of which one area is a very narrow strip that separates
Tajikistan from Pakistan -- 2 of the 4 remaining polio endemic countries in
the world. (see <http://www.polioeradication.org>).
ProMED-mail would greatly appreciate more information from knowledgeable
sources on the number of confirmed and probable cases of polio in
Tajikistan, results of genetic testing of the virus identified (wild vs
vaccine derived, type 1, 2, or 3), and genetically confirmed geographic
origin of the virus. - Mod.MPP]
