Update on Vaccine-Derived Poliovirus Outbreaks - Democratic Republic of the Congo and Horn of Africa, 2017-2018.

This report updates (as of February 26, 2019) previous reports on circulating VDPV type 2 (cVDPV2) outbreaks during 2017-2018 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and in Somalia, which experienced a concurrent cVDPV type 3 (cVDPV3) outbreak* (2,3). In DRC, 42 cases have been reported in four cVDPV2 outbreaks; paralysis onset in the most recent case was October 7, 2018 (2). Challenges to interrupting transmission have included delays in outbreak-response supplementary immunization activities (SIAs) and difficulty reaching children in all areas. In Somalia, cVDPV2 and cVDPV3 were detected in sewage before the detection of paralytic cases (3). Twelve type 2 and type 3 cVDPV cases have been confirmed; the most recent paralysis onset dates were September 2 (cVDPV2) and September 7, 2018 (cVDPV3). The primary challenge to interrupting transmission is the residence of >300,000 children in areas that are inaccessible for vaccination activities. For both countries, longer periods of surveillance are needed before interruption of cVDPV transmission can be inferred.
PMID: 30845121 [PubMed - in process]

Source: MMWR Morb Mortal Wkl... - March 7, 2019 Category: Epidemiology Authors: Mbaeyi C, Alleman MM, Ehrhardt D, Wiesen E, Burns CC, Liu H, Ewetola R, Seakamela L, Mdodo R, Ndoutabe M, Wenye PK, Riziki Y, Borus P, Kamugisha C, Wassilak SGF Tags: MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep Source Type: research