Burundi declares polio emergency
Burundi has declared a national public health
emergency after polio was detected in a 4-year-old and two other children who
had been in contact with the child.
The polio outbreak is Burundi's first in more
than 30 years.
The landlocked African country is preparing a
vaccination campaign targeting eligible children, from newborns to 7-year-olds.
It will be ready in a few weeks.
In addition to the children, health officials
found five polio samples in its surveillance of wastewater, confirming the
presence of circulating poliovirus type 2. Early detection is critical in
containing an outbreak of the disease.
Type 2 infections can occur when the weakened
strain of the virus contained in the oral polio vaccine circulates among
under-immunized populations for long periods.
The highly infectious disease is also spread
through contaminated water and food or contact with an infected person.
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