Sudan: detection of polio cases linked to a vaccine strain

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Polio cases have just been detected in Sudan but also in Ethiopia and Chad and the health authorities have started a response in the region. These are new cases of polio linked not to the wild virus but to a vaccine strain.

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The World Health Organization (WHO) announced Wednesday, August 25, the eradication of the wild poliovirus in Africa, which causes irreversible paralysis in children, but it is not the only vector of the disease. After genetic examinations, it turns out that the new cases of polio are not due to the wild virus which is naturally present in the environment, still considered to be eradicated, but to a vaccine strain.

Nearly 200 cases of polio have been detected since the start of the year in Sudan and in neighboring countries such as Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola and Ethiopia.

"  The wild strain no longer exists in Africa and the continent is now free of this strain but it is not entirely free from polio because there is also what is called a vaccine-derived strain  ," a said Oliver Rosenbauer, spokesperson for the polio eradication program at the WHO.

In rare cases, the vaccine, made up of a virus rendered harmless, can mutate and become virulent again. The use of this vaccine, however essential to fight against the wild virus, must therefore be called into question in the long term.

“  We know this risk, quite low, which is fairly associated with the use of the vaccine. Our goal is therefore to end with the outbreaks that we see of the vaccine strain and then stop the use of this vaccine to ensure that Africa will be free of all polio,  ”added Oliver Rosenbauer.

It will take at least three years without any case of wild or vaccine polio to declare the total eradication of the disease in Africa.

► To read also: Still efforts to be made to eradicate polio in the world

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• Sudan
• Chad
• Ethiopia
• Health and medicine