WHO Epidemiological Brief: importation of wild poliovirus and response measures in the European Region: No. 11, 16 December 2010

Abstract

The WHO European Region has experienced the first importation of wild poliovirus since it was certified poliomyelitis (‎polio)‎ free in 2002. This epidemiological brief provides an update on the polio outbreak and the response measures taken in the WHO European Region. As of 16 December 2010, Tajikistan has reported 458 laboratory‐confirmed cases of wild poliovirus type 1, including 29 deaths. The last confirmed case in Tajikistan had a date of onset of 4 July. Since the beginning of the year, the Russian Federation had reported 14 polio cases, Turkmenistan three cases and Kazakhstan one case. National immunization days (‎NIDs)‎ were conducted in Tajikistan (‎six rounds)‎, Uzbekistan (‎four rounds)‎, Turkmenistan (‎three rounds)‎, Kyrgyzstan (‎two rounds)‎ and Kazakhstan (‎one round)‎. Kazakhstan also completed one round of subnational supplementary immunization activities (‎approximately 2.2 million persons)‎. Reported coverage was extremely high in all countries.