Plagues,
Pestilences and Diseases
Ivory Coast polio outbreak could spread abroad-WHO
Thu Apr 21, 2011 1:17pm GMT
* WHO warns that crippling disease could spread in region
GENEVA, April 21 (Reuters) - Polio has broken out in Ivory Coast,
with three children confirmed as having the crippling disease, the
World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Thursday.
The U.N. agency warned that the virus may spread within Ivory
Coast, where disease surveillance is poor after months of
post-election violence, and to other parts of West Africa.
"The outbreak response may be constrained by the current security
situation in Cote d'Ivoire," the WHO said.
Immunisation rounds are planned in 15 West African countries from
next week, but the dates for Ivory Coast will depend on the
security situation, WHO spokesman Oliver Rosenbauer said.
Vaccinations had not taken place as planned in Ivory Coast last
month due to the fighting and the WHO could not rule out that the
virus was continuing to circulate undetected there.
Ivory Coast forces attacked formerly allied 'Invisible Commando'
fighters in Abidjan on Wednesday in the most serious escalation of
violence since former leader Laurent Gbagbo was toppled by the new
President Alassane Ouattara.
A polio outbreak struck 27 children in Ivory Coast between
2008-2009 but was caused by a different strain known as type 1.
The current strain, wild poliovirus type 3, had not been detected
in the country since 2000, according to the WHO.
The three new cases were all among children in Soubre district of
the southwest province of Bas Sassandra, whose symptoms began in
January and February, Rosenbauer said.
The virus was linked to one detected in northern Nigeria in 2008,
he said. "It was imported but then locally transmitted (in Ivory
Coast)," he said.
Nigeria is one of four countries where the virus is still endemic,
the others being Afghanistan, India and Pakistan.
A global campaign began more than 20 years ago to wipe out polio,
which normally strikes children under five years of age and for
which there is no cure, only preventative vaccines.
Travellers to Ivory Coast who have previously received three or
more doses of oral polio vacine should take another dose before
departure, the Geneva-based agency said. Those not previously
vaccinated should have a complete course. (Reporting by Stephanie
Nebehay; Editing by Louise Ireland)