Syria, , The area was not defined., Description: The World Health Organization (WHO) says it has confirmed 10 cases of polio detected in northeast Syria in mid-October. The WHO warns protective measures must be taken to prevent the crippling disease from spreading in the region. The World Health Organization says 12 other suspected cases of polio are still under investigation. A spokesman for WHOs Polio Eradication Program says in a VOA interview there are no additional so-called hot cases at the moment. Oliver Rosenbauer says disease surveillance is ongoing in Syria and in neighboring countries to look for other cases of acute flaccid paralysis. But, for now, he says the only known cases are the 22 in Deir Ezzor that were detected and initially reported on October 17. The next step will be to genetically look at these isolated viruses and see where they came from. So that should give some clarity on the origin. In terms of the danger, of course, this is a communicable disease, and with population movements it can travel. It can travel to other areas, and so the risk is high of spreading across the region, said Rosenbauer. This is the first outbreak of polio in Syria in 14 years. The WHO says most of the victims are children under the age of two, who probably were not vaccinated against the disease. There is no cure for this crippling disease. But polio can be prevented through immunization.
Posted on: Wed, 30 Oct 2013 09:42:33 +0000
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