Polio News and Research

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Poliomyelitis (polio) is a highly infectious disease caused by a virus that invades the nervous system and can cause severe paralysis. The virus enters the body through the mouth and multiplies in the intestine. Initial symptoms are fever, fatigue, headache, vomiting, stiffness in the neck, and pain in the limbs. One in 200 infections leads to irreversible paralysis (usually in the legs). Among those paralyzed, 5-10% die when their breathing muscles become immobilized. Polio mainly affects children under five years of age. Naturally occurring polio was eliminated in the U.S. in 1979 and in the Western Hemisphere by 1991; however, worldwide efforts are continuing towards eradication of this contagious and devastating disease.

Number of polio cases worldwide reaches record low, but experts say challenges remain

"The number of polio cases worldwide reached a record low in 2012, giving experts confidence that the disease can finally be eradicated, according to presentations made at" the annual meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) in Atlanta on Tuesday, Agence France-Presse reports (11/13).

15 Nov 2012

Polio vaccination refusal in Nigeria continues to thwart eradication efforts

The number of reported cases of wild poliovirus infection in northern Nigeria has risen significantly in the last few years, which researchers say is largely due to vaccine refusals and problems with healthcare infrastructure in the country.

14 Nov 2012

NPR, GlobalPost examine polio in Nigeria

NPR's "Shots" blog reports on an update about the polio situation in Nigeria, published Thursday in the CDC's latest issue of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), writing, "Despite beefed-up efforts to vaccinate kids and a flood of new resources, ... there have been twice as many polio cases as last year, and a few communities, where kids chronically miss vaccines, are serving as 'sanctuaries' for the poliovirus, giving it a place to replicate and survive."

14 Nov 2012

RTS,S vaccine candidate can help protect African infants against malaria

International African Vaccinology Conference, Cape Town, South Africa-Results from a pivotal, large-scale Phase III trial, published online today in the New England Journal of Medicine, show that the RTS,S malaria vaccine candidate can help protect African infants against malaria.

9 Nov 2012

WHO survey shows low knowledge level, acceptance of polio vaccine among Pashtun Pakistanis

"Polio will never be eradicated in Pakistan until a way is found to persuade poor Pashtuns to embrace the vaccine, according to a study released by the World Health Organization" in its November bulletin, the New York Times reports.

7 Nov 2012

Sabin initiates Part II of Na-GST-1 vaccine Phase I hookworm trial

The Sabin Vaccine Institute (Sabin) today announced the start of Part II of its Phase I clinical trial of the Na-GST-1 vaccine candidate, marking another major milestone in the progress toward developing a human hookworm vaccine.

6 Nov 2012

November issue of WHO Bulletin available online

The November issue of the WHO Bulletin features an editorial examining the need for a new model for pharmaceutical research, a public health news roundup, a research article examining parental perceptions surrounding polio immunization activities in Karachi, Pakistan, and a paper on the use of evidence to support healthy public policy, among others.

3 Nov 2012

Afghanistan, U.N. agencies working to improve routine immunization as winter approaches

"Afghanistan is taking steps to improve its routine immunization coverage, after a drop in coverage led to a sharp increase in measles outbreaks last year, killing more than 300 children," IRIN reports.

2 Nov 2012

New data: 4 in 5 children received recommended doses of DTP vaccine during infancy in 2011

Four in five children (83%) worldwide received the recommended three doses of diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP) vaccine during infancy in 2011, according to new data released in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report and in the WHO Weekly Epidemiological Record (WER).

2 Nov 2012

Polio eradication efforts helping to improve other health indicators

"The world is on the verge of a great success story: the eradication of polio," John Hewko, CEO and general secretary of Rotary International, and Jeffrey Sachs, director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University and special adviser to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, write in the Huffington Post's "Global Motherhood" blog.

1 Nov 2012

Political will, funding needed for successful polio eradication initiative

While there is "much to be proud of" in the progress in the fight against polio, "there's still more work to be done," former Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin writes in a GlobalPost opinion piece. Martin, a polio survivor, notes that in 1988, when the Global Polio Eradication Initiative was launched, 350,000 cases in more than 125 countries were recorded annually, but "so far this year, we've seen just 171 cases, and only Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria have never stopped transmission."

1 Nov 2012

Diffusion tensor imaging detects complex muscle structures in 3D

Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) and the Academic Medical Center (AMC) in Amsterdam have together developed a technique that allows detailed 3D imaging of complex muscle structures of patients.

31 Oct 2012

NPR series on polio examines obstacles to eradicating disease in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nigeria

In its ongoing series examining efforts to eradicate polio, NPR health editor Joe Neel and Jason Beaubien, a global health and development correspondent for the news service, on Thursday spoke with "Talk of the Nation" host Neil Conan about obstacles to stamping out polio in the three countries where the disease persists -- Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Nigeria.

29 Oct 2012

Opinion pieces published in recognition of World Polio Day

The following opinion pieces were published on Wednesday in recognition of World Polio Day, observed annually on October 24.

26 Oct 2012

UNICEF calls for 'finishing' global polio eradication; Rotary International warns of funding shortfall in India

UNICEF on Wednesday "called for continued dedication in 'finishing the job' in eradicating polio, while also applauding India for being 'declared polio free' for the first time in history," Xinhua reports. "UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake said in a statement released … on World Polio Day, which falls on Oct. 24, that 'fewer children than ever before suffer the debilitating effects of this cruel disease,'" the news service writes.

26 Oct 2012

Removing rotavirus vaccine age restrictions could save lives

Removing or relaxing the current rotavirus vaccine age restrictions would help save children’s lives, especially in low- and middle-income countries, say researchers.

25 Oct 2012

New York Times blog features interview with Indian polio expert

To mark World Polio Day, the New York Times' "India Ink" blog features an interview with Naveen Thacker, a member of the team that led India's polio eradication efforts. The country has not recorded a new case of polio since January 2011 and is in line to be declared polio-free in January 2014 if no new cases occur, according to the blog.

25 Oct 2012

Global Health Service Partnership 'could be the start of something big'

Writing in GlobalPost's "Global Pulse" blog, Claire Panosian Dunavan, a professor of medicine and infectious diseases at the University of California, Los Angeles, reflects on the Global Health Service Partnership, a new public-private partnership launched by Vanessa Kerry, daughter of Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) "to boost the education of doctors and nurses in sub-Saharan Africa."

25 Oct 2012

Special issue of Global Polio Eradication Initiative news bulletin recognizes World Polio Day

The Global Polio Eradication Initiative has published a special issue of its "Polio News" bulletin in recognition of World Polio Day on October 24.

25 Oct 2012

Fewer families refusing polio vaccination in Pakistan, but many still not immunized, officials say

Though Pakistani officials said Monday there has been a significant decline in the number of families refusing polio vaccination in the country, almost a half million children did not receive the immunization, Agence France-Presse reports.

24 Oct 2012

Polio News and Research

Further Reading

Number of polio cases worldwide reaches record low, but experts say challenges remain

Polio vaccination refusal in Nigeria continues to thwart eradication efforts

NPR, GlobalPost examine polio in Nigeria

RTS,S vaccine candidate can help protect African infants against malaria

WHO survey shows low knowledge level, acceptance of polio vaccine among Pashtun Pakistanis

Sabin initiates Part II of Na-GST-1 vaccine Phase I hookworm trial

November issue of WHO Bulletin available online

Afghanistan, U.N. agencies working to improve routine immunization as winter approaches

New data: 4 in 5 children received recommended doses of DTP vaccine during infancy in 2011

Polio eradication efforts helping to improve other health indicators

Political will, funding needed for successful polio eradication initiative

Diffusion tensor imaging detects complex muscle structures in 3D

NPR series on polio examines obstacles to eradicating disease in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nigeria

Opinion pieces published in recognition of World Polio Day

UNICEF calls for 'finishing' global polio eradication; Rotary International warns of funding shortfall in India

Removing rotavirus vaccine age restrictions could save lives

New York Times blog features interview with Indian polio expert

Global Health Service Partnership 'could be the start of something big'

Special issue of Global Polio Eradication Initiative news bulletin recognizes World Polio Day

Fewer families refusing polio vaccination in Pakistan, but many still not immunized, officials say

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

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