The number of wild poliovirus-1 (WPV-1) in Pakistan grows weekly as the country accounts for 79 percent of all polio cases reported globally. Seven new WPV1 cases were reported in the past week, all from Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), from North Waziristan, South Waziristan and Khyber, bringing the total number of WPV1 cases for 2014 to 115.

 

Image/CIA
Image/CIA

One of the newly-reported cases from North Waziristan is the most recent WPV1 case in the country, with onset of paralysis on 27 July, according to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.

In all of 2013, Pakistan reported a total of 93 WPV-1 cases. No new cases were reported in the two other endemic countries of Nigeria and Afghanistan.

In 2014 to date, there has been 146 total cases, with 128 from endemic countries.

Elsewhere, the GPEI reports:

The Horn of Africa Technical Advisory Group (TAG) met last week to review the current epidemiological situation, the impact of outbreak response and to determine additional strategies needed to rapidly interrupt residual transmission in the region. Plans were developed to increase access to mobile populations, to improve community surveillance and to strengthen campaign quality.

China, India and Australia have joined Saudi Arabia in requiring proof of polio vaccination for visa applications for travellers coming from polio endemic and outbreak countries to mitigate the risk of international spread of polio.

In Cameroon, genetic sequencing of the recently-reported cases confirms continued wild poliovirus circulation, gaps in surveillance resulting in undetected transmission and geographic expansion to new areas of the country.  For more infectious disease news and information, visit and “like” the Infectious Disease News Facebook page