Update: Polio this week – As of 20 February 2013
Global Polio Eradication Initiative
http://www.polioeradication.org/Dataandmonitoring/Poliothisweek.aspx

[Editor’s Extract and bolded text]
– In Somalia, a new circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) from January 2013 was reported.
– This latest case is confirmation that the cVDPV2 outbreak from 2011 in south-central Somalia is ongoing. In 2012, this outbreak had also spread across the border into neighbouring Kenya. Outbreak response continues to be implemented. See ‘Horn of Africa’ section below for more.

Afghanistan
– No new WPV cases were reported in the past week…
– Two new cases of cVDPV2 were reported in the past week, bringing the total number of cVDPV2 cases for 2012 to nine, and one for 2013. The most recent cVDPV2 case had onset of paralysis on 22 January 2013 (from Hilmand). This is the first case reported in Afghanistan in 2013.

Nigeria
– One new WPV case was reported in the past week (WPV1 from Kano), bringing the total number of WPV cases for 2012 to 122. It is the most recent case in the country and had onset of paralysis on 22 December.

Horn of Africa
– One new cVDPV2 case was reported in the past week, from Somalia, with onset of paralysis on 9 January 2013.
– This latest case is linked to a cVDPV2 outbreak ongoing in south-central Somalia since 2011 – nine cases were reported in 2011 and one case in 2012 (July). Additionally, in 2012 this outbreak spread across the border to Kenya, with three cases reported from Dadaab, in North Eastern Province between April and June 2012.
– In late 2012 and January 2013, access to populations is being achieved for the first time in three years in key areas of south-central Somalia, as a result of concerted local-access negotiations. An emergency action plan for south-central Somalia has been developed and is being implemented. At the same time, efforts are on-going to further boost population immunity levels in accessible, polio-free areas of Somalia, as well as in border areas of Kenya.
– However, confirmation of this most recent case underscores that the outbreak is ongoing and more outbreak response must be implemented.

West Africa
– In Niger, outbreak response immunization activities were conducted 15-18 January, in close coordination with Nigeria, and were followed by NIDs with trivalent OPV on 2-5 February, again synchronized with Nigeria. Vaccinations also focused on reaching mobile populations associated with population movements from Mali, including in refugee camps. OPV continues to be added to broader humanitarian assistance efforts in the region, including in Mali, Mauritania, Burkina Faso and Niger.