MALAWI – Malawian health authorities have declared an outbreak of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) detected in a young child in Lilongwe for the first time in Africa in more than five years.
Malawi reported the last case in 1992 and Africa was declared free of indigenous wild polio in August 2020 after eliminating all forms of wild polio from the region.
The last case of wild polio virus in Africa was identified in northern Nigeria in 2016 and globally there were only five cases in 2021.
Polio is a highly infectious disease caused by a virus that invades the nervous system causing total paralysis within hours.
The virus is transmitted from person-to-person mainly through the fecal-oral route or through contaminated water or food where the virus multiplies in the intestine.
According to World Health Organization (WHO), one out of 100 people with poliovirus infection will develop more serious symptoms that affect the brain and spinal cord.
Paralysis is the most severe symptom associated with polio because it can lead to permanent disability and death.
While there is no cure for polio, the disease can be prevented through administration of a simple and effective vaccine.
The three-year-old Malawian girl experienced onset of paralysis on 19 November 2021 and stool specimens were collected for testing on 26 and 27 November.
Consequently, sequencing of the virus was conducted in February by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases in South Africa and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed this case as WPV1.
Laboratory analysis shows that the strain detected in Malawi is linked to the one that has been circulating in Sindh Province in Pakistan since October as polio remains endemic in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
As an imported case from Pakistan, this detection does not affect the African region’s wild poliovirus-free certification status.
WHO is supporting the Malawi health authorities to carry out a risk assessment and outbreak response including supplemental immunization.
Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa said as long as wild polio exists anywhere in the world all countries remain at risk of importation of the virus.
“Following the detection of wild polio in Malawi, we’re taking urgent measures to forestall its potential spread with high level of polio surveillance in the continent,” asserted Dr Matshidiso Moeti.
She added that with capacity to quickly detect the virus, there will be a swift launch of a rapid response to protect children from the debilitating impact of this disease.
“Surveillance of the disease is also being ramped up in neighboring countries,” assured Dr Matshidiso Moeti.
The Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) Rapid Response Team which is based at the WHO Regional Office in Africa is deploying a team to Malawi to support coordination, surveillance, data management, communications and operations.
Partners organizations will also send teams to support emergency operations and innovative vaccination campaign solutions.
Any case of wild polio virus is a significant event and organizations are mobilizing all resources to support the Malawi’s response.
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