Wild Poliovirus Importation, Central African Republic

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Emerging Infectious Diseases
Volume 19, Number 6—June 2013
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/index.htm

Letter
Wild Poliovirus Importation, Central African Republic
Excerpt
To the Editor: Since the Global Polio Eradication Initiative was launched in 1988, indigenous transmission of wild poliovirus (WPV) has been interrupted in all countries except Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Nigeria (1). However, during 2003–2011, outbreaks resulting from importation of WPV occurred in 29 previously polio-free countries in Africa, including Central African Republic (CAR) (1–3). In 2011, 350 WPV cases were reported from 12 countries in Africa, a 47% decrease from the 657 cases reported by 12 countries in Africa in 2010 (1).

In CAR, the last case of poliomyelitis caused by indigenous transmission of wild poliovirus was reported in 2000, but importation of WPV type 1 has been reported (4). We describe the importation of WPV1 and WPV3 into CAR during successive events in 2008, 2009, and 2011…

http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/19/6/pdfs/12-1821.pdf