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Poliomyelitis in Afghanistan (Update)

31 Mar 2017

One new wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) case was reported in the past week, from Kunduz province, with onset of paralysis on 21 February. It is the most recent case in the country, and brings the total number of WPV1 cases for 2017 to three. For 2016, the case count remains 13.

One new WPV1 environmental positive sample was reported in the past week, from Kandahar, collected on 26 January 2017.

(Via Global Polio Eradication InitiativeLink - accessed 31/03/17)

Advice for Travellers

Travellers are encouraged to take strict precautions with food, water and personal hygiene.

In addition, in order to comply with the WHO and ECDC recommendations and also to avoid travellers being vaccinated in the polio-infected country, authorities in the UK have made specific vaccination recommendations.

Please refer to individual country records for further information.

In England, Public Health England and NaTHNaC have issued advice which is different to that in Scotland (please look at Travel Health Pro Clinical Updates for full details).