Poliovirus Confirmed in Northeast South America

According to a report published by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) on October 14, 2024, various health authorities have confirmed the detection of vaccine-derived poliovirus type 3 (VDPV3) in an environmental wastewater sample in Leblond (Cayenne), French Guiana.

Additional sequencing results confirm that two samples collected at a Morne Coco plant and one from Saint Georges de l’Oyapock are genetically linked to the VDPV3 isolates detected in June 2024.

Further analysis showed that this sequence is not genetically related to any previously identified VDPV3 strains, including those circulated in other countries throughout 2021-2022.

This finding suggests it might not have spread from a known source and confirms the presence of circulating VDPV3 in French Guiana.

As of this PAHO update, there are no reports of any suspected polio outbreaks in French Guiana.

The U.S. CDC reissued a Global Polio Alert - Level 2, on August 20, 2024, regarding polio outbreaks and poliovirus detections in 37 countries.

And the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed during the 39th meeting of the IHR Emergency Committee for Polio held in August 2024 that the spread of the poliovirus remained a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

Both the CDC and WHO recommend that international travelers be fully immunized against polio before visiting endemic countries, such as Afghanistan and Pakistan.