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. 2023 Jul 14;45(Suppl 2):4.
doi: 10.11604/pamj.supp.2023.45.2.38079. eCollection 2023.

Descriptive epidemiology of poliomyelitis cases due to wild poliovirus type 1 and wild poliovirus type 3 in Nigeria, 2000-2020

Philip Bammeke  1 , Usman Said Adamu  2 , Omotayo Bolu  1 , Ndadilnasiya Waziri  3 , Tesfaye Erberto  4 , Aron Aregay  5 , Peter Nsubuga  6 , Eric Wiesen  1 , Faisal Shuaib  2
Affiliations

Descriptive epidemiology of poliomyelitis cases due to wild poliovirus type 1 and wild poliovirus type 3 in Nigeria, 2000-2020

Philip Bammeke et al. Pan Afr Med J. .

Abstract

Introduction: in August 2020, the World Health Organization African Region was certified free of wild poliovirus (WPV) when Nigeria became the last African country to interrupt wild poliovirus transmission. The National Polio Emergency Operations Center instituted in 2012 to coordinate and manage Nigerian polio eradication efforts reviewed the epidemiology of WPV cases during 2000-2020 to document lessons learned.

Methods: we analyzed reported WPV cases by serotype based on age, oral poliovirus vaccine immunization history, month and year of reported cases, and annual geographic distribution based on incidence rates at the Local Government Area level. The observed trends of cases were related to major events and the poliovirus vaccines used during mass vaccination campaigns within the analysis period.

Results: a total of 3,579 WPV type 1 and 1,548 WPV type 3 laboratory-confirmed cases were reported with onset during 2000-2020. The highest WPV incidence rates per 100,000 population in Local Government Areas were 19.4, 12.0, and 11.3, all in 2006. Wild poliovirus cases were reported each year during 2000-2014; the endemic transmission went undetected throughout 2015 until the last cases in 2016. Ten events/milestones were highlighted, including insurgency in the northeast which led to a setback in 2016 with four cases from children previously trapped in security-compromised areas.

Conclusion: Nigeria interrupted WPV transmission despite the challenges faced because of the emergency management approach, implementation of mass vaccination campaigns, the commitment of the government agencies, support from global polio partners, and special strategies deployed to conduct vaccination and surveillance in the security-compromised areas.

Keywords: Polio eradication; acute flaccid paralysis; emergency operations center; poliomyelitis; poliovirus vaccine; supplementary immunization; vaccination campaign; wild poliovirus.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
caretaker recall total oral polio vaccine dose history (routine and supplementary immunization) at the time of initial investigation of acute flaccid paralysis in children with confirmed wild poliovirus cases by age group, Nigeria 2000-2016
Figure 2
Figure 2
number of confirmed annual wild poliovirus type 1 and type 3 cases, Nigeria, 2000-2020
Figure 3
Figure 3
annual wild poliovirus incidence rates at the Local Government Area level in Nigeria, 2000-2016
Figure 4
Figure 4
timeline of historic events in the Nigerian polio eradication journey and wild poliovirus cases each year from 2000-2020
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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