Prayagraj: Following the detection of lone polio vaccine virus (PVV) case from the environmental sewage sample, the officials of district health department and World Health Organisation (WHO) have intensified surveillance in Gaughat and adjoining catchment areas with a view to keep an eye on immunity status of the children living in the area.
The exercise has been taken up to detect any instance of vaccine virus or vaccine-derived polio virus (VDPV) in individuals or in the environment. One case of polio vaccine virus was detected from environmental sewage sample collected from the Gaughat in city on May 23, 2023.
Chief Medical Officer (Prayagraj) Dr. Ashu Pandey told TOI, “ There was no need of panic following the detection of polio vaccine virus from the environmental sewage sample as it was not harmful. Teams of health department and WHO keep on surveillance of environment sewage samples and conduct studies accordingly. Department is reviewing and strengthening OPV (Oral polio vaccine) and IPV (Inactivated poliovirus vaccine) coverage in catchment area surveyed.
CMO, meanwhile, informed that, “To maintain polio free status, the health agencies are maintaining high levels of population immunity against polio through Routine Immunization (RI) and National Immunization Days (NIDs)”.
Health authorities conduct high-quality acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance supplemented with Environmental Surveillance (ES), which involves regular collection and testing of sewage samples from selected sites across the nation to detect polio virus in faecal matter. This robust mode of surveillance detects polio even in people who do not have symptoms.
The current surveillance system in country, which includes AFP surveillance and environmental surveillance, is robust enough to detect not only any wild polio transmission but also any instance of vaccine virus or vaccine-derived polio virus (VDPV) in individuals or in the environment.
Following the detection of the isolate, a thorough, epidemiological investigation was conducted by agencies concerned, with technical support of WHO, in the catchment area of the site.
The entire catchment area was surveyed and information gathered on the local demography, immunization coverage, and quality of AFP and ES surveillance. District is conducting a polio Sub National Immunization Day from May 28 (Sunday) and also strengthening AFP surveillance. Besides, sensitization workshops are being conducted and medical officials are asked for early reporting of AFP cases.
The exercise has been taken up to detect any instance of vaccine virus or vaccine-derived polio virus (VDPV) in individuals or in the environment. One case of polio vaccine virus was detected from environmental sewage sample collected from the Gaughat in city on May 23, 2023.
Chief Medical Officer (Prayagraj) Dr. Ashu Pandey told TOI, “ There was no need of panic following the detection of polio vaccine virus from the environmental sewage sample as it was not harmful. Teams of health department and WHO keep on surveillance of environment sewage samples and conduct studies accordingly. Department is reviewing and strengthening OPV (Oral polio vaccine) and IPV (Inactivated poliovirus vaccine) coverage in catchment area surveyed.
CMO, meanwhile, informed that, “To maintain polio free status, the health agencies are maintaining high levels of population immunity against polio through Routine Immunization (RI) and National Immunization Days (NIDs)”.
Health authorities conduct high-quality acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance supplemented with Environmental Surveillance (ES), which involves regular collection and testing of sewage samples from selected sites across the nation to detect polio virus in faecal matter. This robust mode of surveillance detects polio even in people who do not have symptoms.
The current surveillance system in country, which includes AFP surveillance and environmental surveillance, is robust enough to detect not only any wild polio transmission but also any instance of vaccine virus or vaccine-derived polio virus (VDPV) in individuals or in the environment.
Following the detection of the isolate, a thorough, epidemiological investigation was conducted by agencies concerned, with technical support of WHO, in the catchment area of the site.
The entire catchment area was surveyed and information gathered on the local demography, immunization coverage, and quality of AFP and ES surveillance. District is conducting a polio Sub National Immunization Day from May 28 (Sunday) and also strengthening AFP surveillance. Besides, sensitization workshops are being conducted and medical officials are asked for early reporting of AFP cases.