Friday, January 27, 2023
News on Pathogens and Preparedness
Global Biodefense
  • Featured
  • COVID-19
  • Funding
  • Directory
  • Jobs
  • Events
  • Subscribe
No Result
View All Result
  • Featured
  • COVID-19
  • Funding
  • Directory
  • Jobs
  • Events
  • Subscribe
No Result
View All Result
Global Biodefense
No Result
View All Result
Home Biosecurity

Polio Comeback Officially a World Health Emergency

by Global Biodefense Staff
May 6, 2014
Polio Vaccination Campaigns

The World Health Organization (WHO) took unprecedented action this week by declaring the potential for polio resurgence a global public health emergency.

The WHO’s International Health Regulations (IHR) Emergency Committee met last week and concluded that the international spread of polio to date in 2014 constitutes an ‘extraordinary event’ and a public health risk to other nations for which a coordinated international response is essential.

The current situation stands in stark contrast to the near-cessation of international spread of wild poliovirus from January 2012 through the 2013 low transmission season for this disease (i.e. January to April).

“If unchecked, this situation could result in failure to eradicate globally one of the world’s most serious vaccine preventable diseases,” stated the Emergency Committee.

At the end of 2013, 60% of polio cases were the result of international spread of wild poliovirus, and there was increasing evidence that adult travellers contributed to this spread. During the 2014 low transmission season there has already been international spread of wild poliovirus from 3 of the 10 States that are currently infected: in central Asia (from Pakistan to Afghanistan), in the Middle East (Syrian Arab Republic to Iraq) and in Central Africa (Cameroon to Equatorial Guinea).

A coordinated international response is deemed essential to stop this international spread of wild poliovirus and to prevent new spread with the onset of the high transmission season in May/June 2014.

The Emergency Committee emphasized that the consequences of further international spread are particularly acute today given the large number of polio-free but conflict-torn and fragile regions which have severely compromised routine immunization services and are at high risk of re-infection.

Such areas would experience extreme difficulty in mounting an effective response were wild poliovirus to be reintroduced. As much international spread occurs across land borders, WHO will continue to facilitate a coordinated regional approach to accelerate interruption of virus transmission in each epidemiologic zone.

Read more: WHO statement on the meeting of the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee concerning the international spread of wild poliovirus.

Tags: PolioVaccines

Related Posts

Influenza Proteins Tilt and Wave in ‘Breath-like’ Motions
Pathogens

Influenza Proteins Tilt and Wave in ‘Breath-like’ Motions

January 25, 2023
DARPA Pursues Advanced Threat-Detection for Crop Defense
Biosecurity

DARPA Pursues Advanced Threat-Detection for Crop Defense

January 3, 2023
NIH Grant Awarded to Study Evolution of Lyme Disease Bacteria in Deer Ticks
Pathogens

NIH Grant Awarded to Study Evolution of Lyme Disease Bacteria in Deer Ticks

December 7, 2022
Bat Virus Receptor Studies Vital to Predict Spillover Risk
Pathogens

Bat Virus Receptor Studies Vital to Predict Spillover Risk

December 7, 2022
Load More

Latest News

Partner Therapeutics’ Novel Approach to Stratify Sepsis Patients Gains Backing From BARDA

Biopreparedness Research Virtual Environment (BRaVE) Initiative Backed by $105M DOE Funding

January 25, 2023
Influenza Proteins Tilt and Wave in ‘Breath-like’ Motions

Influenza Proteins Tilt and Wave in ‘Breath-like’ Motions

January 25, 2023
Biodefense Headlines – 24 January 2023

Biodefense Headlines – 24 January 2023

January 24, 2023
Biodefense Headlines – 17 January 2023

Biodefense Headlines – 17 January 2023

January 17, 2023

Subscribe

  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Subscribe

© 2022 Stemar Media Group LLC

No Result
View All Result
  • Featured
  • COVID-19
  • Funding
  • Directory
  • Jobs
  • Events
  • Subscribe

© 2022 Stemar Media Group LLC