MESSAGE FROM JENNY HORTON 7 JULY 2007

 

Polio weekly global update - 04 Jul 2007

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• Advance notifications received from a number of countries, including Afghanistan, Angola, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) and Niger. See below for further details.
• In Pakistan, polio staff are supporting a measles campaign. See below for further details.

2. ENDEMIC COUNTRIES

Afghanistan

• Advance notification of 1 new case was received, from Nangarhar province, in the northeast of the country, close to the border with Pakistan. The case had onset of paralysis on 16 June.
• Cross-border SNIDs will be held on 9-11 July, in the tribal belt border areas with Pakistan.

India

• 8 new cases were reported in the past week (one WPV1 and seven WPV3s), bringing the total to 90 for 2007. The most recent case had onset of paralysis on 24 May.
• Subnational Immunization Days (SNIDs) are currently ongoing (launched on 1 July), using a combination of monovalent OPVs type 1 and type 3 (mOPV1 and mOPV3).

Nigeria

• 1 new case was reported in the past week (WPV1), from Kebbi state, bringing the total to 115 for 2007. The most recent case had onset of paralysis on 15 May.
• Immunization Plus Days (IPDs) were held last week (23-26 June), covering critical areas in the north of the country. 20 consultants from EMRO had been dispatched to support the activity.
• While improvements were noted, particularly in increased use of community dialogues and increasing work with Quranic schools, key operational challenges must still be addressed, including: more effective microplans, and ensuring better vaccinator/supervisor training.
• The next IPDs will be held on 27-29 July.

Pakistan

• No new cases were reported in the past week. The total in 2007 remains 9. Pakistan's most recent case had onset of paralysis on 14 May.
• Polio teams are supporting an extensive measles campaign, launched this week in eight districts of Balochistan.
• Due to the recent monsoon, extensive flooding and displacement of populations is continuing to affect large areas of Balochistan and North West Frontier Province (NWFP). This may affect the quality of upcoming polio campaigns.
• Cross-border SNIDs will be held on 9-11 July, in the tribal belt border areas with Afghanistan.

3. IMPORTATION COUNTRIES

Re-infected countries

• In Chad, advance notification of two WPV1s has been received. One of the cases is near the border with Cameroon. The second case is close to the border with Darfur, Sudan, in the same area from which a polio importation into Darfur occurred in 2004. Genetic sequencing to determine the origin of the cases remains pending.
• EMRO and AFRO are currently working closely together, to plan an appropriate synchronized, cross-border emergency outbreak response in Chad and Sudan.
• In Myanmar, 2 new cases were reported in the past week, from Rakhine province. The cases had onset of paralysis on 30 April and 12 May respectively, eg prior to the start of emergency outbreak response activities following identification of the index case.
• In Angola, advance notification of 4 new cases (WPV1s) has been received, all from the country's capital, Luanda. Angola conducted National Immunization Days (NIDs) last week, although the quality was hampered by a number of operational challenges, including inadequate vaccinator selection and training. The Interagency Coordinating Committee convened this week, in efforts to improve the quality ahead of the country's next NIDs, to be held on 25 July.
• In DR Congo, 2 new cases were reported in the past week, from Equateur province. Additionally, advance notification of 5 additional cases has been received, also from Equateur province. DR Congo synchronized its SNIDs last week, together with Angola. Its next campaigns are scheduled for 25 July.
• In Niger, advance notification of a new case was received, from Zinder province. The case had onset of paralysis on 23 May. Genetic sequencing of the case remains pending; the country's previous 4 cases from this year have all been genetically linked to virus circulating in bordering northern Nigeria. Niger will conduct its next SNIDs in September.

4. OFFICIALLY REPORTED WILD VIRUS CASES ON 03 Jul 2007

· Total global cases in 2007: 256 (compared with 680 for the same period in 2006)
· Total in endemic countries: 217 (compared with 620 for the same period in 2006)
· Total in non-endemic countries: 39 (compared with 60 for the same period in 2006)
· Afghanistan: 3 cases (compared with 14 for the same period in 2006), onset of paralysis of most recent case: 26 May 2007
· India: 90 cases (compared with 73 for the same period in 2006), onset of paralysis of most recent case: 24 May 2007
· Angola: 2 cases (compared with 0 for the same period in 2006), onset of paralysis of most recent case: 18 May 2007
· Nigeria: 115 cases (compared with 526 for the same period in 2006), onset of paralysis of most recent case: 15 May 2007
· Pakistan: 9 cases (compared with 7 for the same period in 2006), onset of paralysis of most recent case: 14 May 2007
· Myanmar: 10 cases (compared with 0 for the same period in 2006), onset of paralysis of most recent case: 12 May 2007
· Niger: 4 cases (compared with 4 for the same period in 2006), onset of paralysis of most recent case: 11 May 2007
· DRC: 15 cases (compared with 3 for the same period in 2006), onset of paralysis of most recent case: 06 May 2007
· Somalia: 8 cases (compared with 26 for the same period in 2006), onset of paralysis of most recent case: 25 Mar 2007
· Nepal: 0 case (compared with 1 for the same period in 2006), onset of paralysis of most recent case: 22 Dec 2006
· Cameroon: 0 case (compared with 0 for the same period in 2006), onset of paralysis of most recent case: 06 Dec 2006
· Chad: 0 case (compared with 0 for the same period in 2006), onset of paralysis of most recent case: 26 Nov 2006
· Bangladesh: 0 case (compared with 4 for the same period in 2006), onset of paralysis of most recent case: 22 Nov 2006
· Kenya: 0 case (compared with 0 for the same period in 2006), onset of paralysis of most recent case: 13 Nov 2006
· Ethiopia: 0 case (compared with 6 for the same period in 2006), onset of paralysis of most recent case: 07 Nov 2006
· Namibia: 0 case (compared with 13 for the same period in 2006), onset of paralysis of most recent case: 26 Jun 2006
· Indonesia: 0 case (compared with 2 for the same period in 2006), onset of paralysis of most recent case: 20 Feb 2006
· Yemen: 0 case (compared with 1 for the same period in 2006), onset of paralysis of most recent case: 02 Feb 2006

· Total global cases in 2006: 1998
· Total in endemic countries: 1871
· Total in non-endemic countries: 127
Please refer to the attached weekly global update, for country-level details of 2006 cases.