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Polio in Papua New Guinea (Morobe Province)

25 Jun 2018

On 25 June 2018, the World Health Organisation (WHO)confirmed an outbreak of polio in Papua New Guinea.  The virus was first detected in a child from Morobe Province in April and is now circulating in the same community. The only confirmed case is a 6-year-old child with lower limb paralysis, detected on 28 April 2018.

Advice for Travellers

WHO recommends that "all travellers to polio-affected areas be fully vaccinated against polio. Residents (and visitors for more than 4 weeks) from infected areas should receive an additional dose of OPV or inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) within 4 weeks to 12 months of travel."

For further information see Poliomyelitis.