Heath officials said an unvaccinated four-year-old child as well as two other children were confirmed to have come in contact with Islay district in western Burundi
“Additionally, five environmental monitoring samples of wastewater confirmed the presence of circulating poliovirus type 2,” states a press release issued by the World Health Organization.WHO,
effective monitoring
“Detection of circulating poliovirus type 2 Shows the effectiveness of the country’s disease surveillance”, WHO Regional Director for Africa Dr. Matshidiso Moeti said.
“Polio is highly contagious and timely action is important Protecting children through effective vaccinationWe are supporting national efforts to increase polio vaccination make sure no child is left out And there’s no risk of the debilitating effects of polio.
The disease is spread through contaminated water and food, or through contact with an infected person, many people do not become seriously ill, but some may develop acute flaccid paralysis. Early detection is key to contain potential outbreaks,
Burundi declares an outbreak of poliovirus type 2.
Vaccination campaign is gaining momentum
The Burundian government – which has declared the detection of the virus a national public health emergency – There are plans to implement a vaccination campaign to combat polio in the coming weeksTo protect all eligible children from newborn to the age of seven years.
Health authorities, in collaboration with WHO and Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) partners, have also begun an epidemiological investigation of the limited outbreak, including risk assessment, to ensure containment.
burundi strong defense
Burundi is further strengthening polio surveillance, supporting additional sample collection with WHO experts in the field, as well as assessing the possibility of opening new environmental surveillance sites for early detection of silently transmitted poliovirus.
Poliovirus type 2 is the most prevalent form of polio spread in Africa, and outbreaks of this type of poliovirus are the most reported in the region, with more than 400 cases reported in 14 countries in 2022.
Type 2 infection can occur when a weakened strain of the virus contained in the oral polio vaccine circulates among low-immune populations over a long period of time.