Acute Flaccid Paralysis and Polio
Q. India maintains a highly sensitive surveillance system for polio. It tries to detect which of the following during surveillance?- Published on 21 Jun 16a. Respiratory disorders
b. Acute Flaccid Paralysis
c. Weight loss
d. All of the above
ANSWER: Acute Flaccid Paralysis
- India continues to maintain a highly sensitive surveillance system for polio
- All cases of paralysis with sudden onset in children up to 15 years (which is called Acute Flaccid Paralysis or AFP) are picked up by the polio surveillance network.
- Each of these cases is followed up and their stool samples tested for poliovirus in WHO accredited laboratories. In addition, sewage samples are collected from over 30 sites spread across the country for poliovirus detection at regular intervals.
- The term acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) is often used to describe a sudden onset, as might be found with polio.
- AFP is the most common sign of acute polio, and used for surveillance during polio outbreaks. AFP is also associated with a number of other pathogenic agents including enteroviruses, echoviruses, West Nile virus, and adenoviruses, among others.
- There have been some media reports that polio virus (P2 strain) has resurfaced in India for the first time in 5 years. However, it is not true as detected polio virus strain is vaccine derived poliovirus (VDPV) in a sewage sample.
- The detection of vaccine derived polio virus (VPDV) does not change the polio free status. It only indicates the robustness of the surveillance system and willingness of the country to detect any kind of polio virus even from the environment (sewage).
- Vaccine derived polioviruses are rare strain of the polioviruses that have genetically mutated from the strain contained in the Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV).
