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Polio in Tajikistan, Turkmenistan & Russian Federation

6 October 2010

Travel Health News Bulletin

Tajikistan

On 20th April 2010 the World Health Organisation (WHO) announced that 32 cases of imported wild-type poliovirus (type 1) in children have been confirmed in Tajikistan. Tajikistan forms part of the WHO’s European region and this region was certified polio-free in 2002.

Over 700 cases have been reported with a total number of confirmed cases of wild-type poliovirus (type 1) currently standing at 458. The most recent case reported the onset of paralysis in early July 2010. The majority of cases have occurred in children under the age of 5 and twenty deaths have been attributed to polio. Further immunisation activities are planned for October and November targeting all children under the age of 15.

Confirmed cases have occurred in the capital city of Dushanbe, districts of Republican Subordination, and Khatlon Province, all in central and southwestern Tajikistan and one district in the northern Sogd province. The size of the outbreak in Tajikistan means that it outstrips all other polio-affected countries, accounting for more than 80 percent of all polio cases worldwide this year.

Turkmenistan

There have been three confirmed cases of wild-type poliovirus since June 2010. The cases are thought to have spread from neighbouring Tajikistan. Two rounds of outbreak response immunisation activity have already taken place and a further one is currently taking place with the support of the Health Ministry and the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Russian Federation

The total number of confirmed polio cases currently stands at 12. All the cases are attributed to wild-type poliovirus (type 1). Of these cases, 7 are thought to have been imported from neighbouring polio-infected countries, with 5 cases attributed to local transmission.

Some of the cases have been located in Chechnya and Dagestan and are thought to represent a significant risk of further international spread. Immunisation days are planned for the North Caucasian Federal District, Southern Federal District and Volga, Northwest, Central, Ural Seberian and Far East Federal districts.

The WHO has alerted all countries in the Caucasus region to be alert to the spread of polio and has recommended that all children under the age of 5 should be immunised against the polio virus to stop the disease spreading further. Uzbekistan has announced that it will immunise 9 million children under the age of 15 at the end of October 2010.

Polio – facts about the disease

Polio is a highly infectious virus which is transmitted by food and water contaminated by human faeces. Therefore, hygienic water and sanitation play a key role in controlling the human spread of disease along with vaccination programmes. For most people polio is a mild illness and causes flu-like symptoms but it can be potentially fatal. It affects the nervous system and may result in paralysis.

Advice for those travelling to or working in the areas affected:

Anyone travelling to or working in Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and the Russian Federation should ensure they have completed their primary vaccination course against polio and, in addition, should be given a booster of polio-vaccine if they have not received one in the past 10 years.

Further information is available to TravelWell Plan subscribers on our Travel health Advice Centre (THAC).

• Polio vaccine information sheet (written by InterHealth clinicians)

Sources: Wild Poliovirus Weekly Activity (www.polioeradication.org), Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC)