Abstract
Australia, along with 36 other countries in the Western Pacific Region, was declared free of poliomyelitis by the World Health Organization in October 2000. Yet, the persistence of wild poliovirus in the 4 remaining polio-endemic countries-Afghanistan, India, Nigeria, and Pakistan-poses a risk for its importation into all countries declared polio free. We describe the public health response and outcomes resulting from the importation of a wild poliovirus infection in Melbourne, Australia, in July 2007. This response, based on an assessment of the risk for transmission, included offering vaccination with inactivated polio vaccine to the contacts and placing the index patient in isolation and the household contacts in quarantine until consecutive fecal specimens were negative for poliovirus by culture. The experience gained from the polio importation event in Australia may assist other polio-free countries to prepare for, and respond to, a similar event. No secondary clinical cases resulted from this importation.
Highlights
Household contacts5 housemates, 1 visitor, and the housekeeper received inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) and placed in home quarantine under a Public Health Order
Since 2006, wild poliovirus has been endemic in only 4 countries: Afghanistan, India, Nigeria, and Pakistan
We describe the public health response to an importation of wild poliovirus infection that occurred in Melbourne, Australia, in July 2007; the last reported case of polio in Australia was in 1977 [2]
Summary
5 housemates, 1 visitor, and the housekeeper received IPV and placed in home quarantine under a Public Health Order. Recommend serum collection before vaccinating contacts to test for IgM against polio. Another friend who visited the residence of the index case was boosted with IPV only. Home quarantine lifted when 2 fecal specimens, collected 24–48 h apart, were negative for enterovirus by cell culture and RTPCR. Housemates required support to ensure compliance, which included grocery deliveries, bill payments, and a range of other assistance
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