Abstract

Detection of Imported Wild Polioviruses and of Vaccine-Derived Polioviruses by Environmental Surveillance in Egypt Soile Blomqvist a , Laila El Bassioni b , Eman M. El Maamoon Nasr b , Anja Paananen a , Svetlana Kaijalainen a , Humayun Asghar c , Esther de Gourville d and Merja Roivainen a a National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Department of Infectious Disease Surveillance and Control, Virology Unit, Helsinki, Finland b Holding Company for Biological and Vaccine Production (VACSERA), Department of Research and Development, World Health Organization, Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Diagnosis, Cairo, Egypt c World Health Organization, Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office, Cairo, Egypt d World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland ABSTRACT Systematic environmental surveillance for poliovirus circulation has been conducted in Egypt since 2000. The surveillance has revealed three independent importations of wild-type poliovirus. In addition, several vaccine-derived polioviruses have been detected in various locations in Egypt. In addition to acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance, environmental surveillance can be used to monitor the wild poliovirus and vaccine-derived poliovirus circulation in populations in support of polio eradication initiatives.