First polio case reported in Horn of Africa since January
The polio outbreak that affected more than 200 people in countries of the Horn of Africa since April 2013 has slowed down dramatically with only one case confirmed in 2014, until now.
Horn of Africa
Public domain image/ Lexicon at the English Wikipedia project
A case of polio due to wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) was reported last week from Jariban district in Mudug province, Somalia, with onset of paralysis on 11 May, according to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) this week.
This is the second case of polio in the Horn of Africa this year. The other case was reported from Ethiopia with onset of paralysis on 5 January. For more infectious disease news and information, visit and “like” the Infectious Disease News Facebook page.
In 2013, 217 cases of WPV 1 were reported in Somalia (194), Kenya (14) and Ethiopia (9). The GPEI notes that while the outbreak appears to have slowed down, the most recent polio case from Somalia indicates continued transmission of the virus. Outbreak response across the Horn of Africa is therefore continuing with next campaigns planned for this month in Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya and Yemen.
Year to date, there has been 89 polio cases reported, with Pakistan accounting on eight of 10 cases (71).
