Circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 1 – Indonesia

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On 12 February, a circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 1 (cVDPV1) has been confirmed in Papua province, Indonesia. Two genetically-linked VDPV1 viruses were isolated from a child with acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) with onset of paralysis on 27 November 2018 and in a healthy community contact, a child whose stool sample was collected on 24 January 2019. The location of this healthy child, with the VDPV isolation, is in a remote village, approximately 3–4 km away from the AFP case with onset of paralysis on 27 November 2018. Even though this province shares a border with Papua New Guinea, this outbreak is not linked to the cVDPV1 outbreak currently affecting its neighbouring country.

WHO and partners are supporting the Ministry of Health (MoH) and local public health authorities in conducting a field investigation, a thorough risk assessment and planning an outbreak response. The exact extent and timing of the outbreak response is being finalized. Initial outbreak response immunization (ORI) has been conducted in Yahukimo district and 5718 children under 15 years of age have been immunized with bivalent oral polio vaccine (bOPV). Disease surveillance, including conducting retrospective and active searches for additional acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) cases, has been further strengthened in community health centres, hospitals and other health facilities including all districts and cities in Papua province. Surveillance has also been strengthened at entry and exit ports and monitoring notification and reporting through the Early Warning, Alert, and Response System (EWARS) has been reinforced. Other provinces have been alerted to improve immunization and AFP surveillance.

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