Ethiopia has reported two additional cases of wild poliovirus 1 (WPV-1), bringing the total number of cases in the country to three as the outbreak on the Horn of Africa still climbs.
The Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) reports that the current outbreak in the region has reached 191 cases, which includes five new cases from Somalia (the epicenter of the outbreak) in addition to the new Ethiopia cases.
The organization reports the most recent WPV1 case in the region from Ethiopia had onset of paralysis on 30 August.
The two new cases from Ethiopia are both from Somali region, bordering Somalia. It is from this region that the first case from the country had been reported.
The Somali region of Ethiopia has been conducting large-scale immunization campaigns since June as the area is considered “high risk”.
The GPEI reports that the country has intensified its surveillance and ramped up its media and education campaign to include 28 Permanent Vaccination Posts established along the Ethiopia-Somalia border areas and at large transit points and social mobilization and mass media activities continue to be scaled up in the country, including jingles on TV and radio and banner productions for local levels.
The latest national immunization campaign in Ethiopia will be wrapping up today.
Outbreak response continues on the other Horn of Africa nations of Somalia and Kenya, and the GPEI reports neighboring Yemen is also part of the response.
No new cases were reported from the three remaining endemic countries of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria.
Source: theglobaldispatch.com