Polio Outbreak Has WHO Calling Public Emergency

Polio is a highly contagious viral infection that can lead to paralysis, breathing problems and in some cases even death. The virus tends to infect children, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems, as well as anyone who has not been immunized against it.

The virus is spread through infected mucus and phlegm, with symptoms resembling the flu — achiness, stiff muscles, headaches and fever. When polio enters the bloodstream, it becomes clinical. Paralysis due to polio affects about 1 percent of all cases.

Unfortunately, there is no cure for polio. However, there are two vaccines that can immunize against polio: inactivated polio virus and oral polio vaccine.

Recent outbreaks

As a result of more than 25 years of vaccination efforts, polio has been mostly eradicated. Sadly, recent outbreaks are spreading quickly, with most recent figures showing 74 cases worldwide — 59 of which were in Pakistan — in 2014. Notably, Syria, a country that has not been affected by polio in well over a decade, has started seeing more cases of the deadly virus as it spreads from Pakistan.

According to Bruce Aylward, the WHO’s assistant director general for polio, emergencies and country collaboration, if left unchecked the latest outbreak “could result in failure to eradicate globally one of the world’s most serious, vaccine-preventable diseases.”

“The consequences of further international spread,” Aylward added, “are particularly acute today given the large number of polio-free but conflict-torn and fragile states which have severely compromised routine immunization services.”

The current outbreak, as Maclean’s writes, is being blamed on Pakistan, where “vaccination campaigns have been disrupted by militant attacks.”

“Conflict makes it very difficult for the vaccinators to get to the children who need vaccine,” David Heymann, a professor of infectious diseases at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said in an interview before the announcement. “It’s been more difficult to finish than had been hoped.”

As a result, residents of Pakistan, Cameroon and Syria are being warned to travel with their vaccination records. The three nations pose the greatest risk of exporting the deadly virus and undermining the United Nations’ plan to eradicate it by 2018.

The Toronto Star notes that polio is only endemic in three countries: Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan; even so, the virus has been introduced into several other countries, with 60 percent of new cases having been caused by international spread.

Eradication by 2018 or not? 

Despite attempts made by the WHO and United Nations to try to stop polio in its tracks, some believe it’s time to throw in the towel.

Why? As the Record.com states, the deadline to wipe out the virus has already been missed more than once and “[t]he ongoing effort costs about $1 billion a year.”

“For the past two years, problems have steadily, and now rapidly mounted,” Dr. Donald A. Henderson told the news outlet, adding that “[i]t is becoming apparent that there are too many problems (for the polio eradication effort) to overcome, however many resources are assigned.”

So far, the WHO and its partners are not considering pushing back the deadline to eradicate polio. During a media briefing, Aylward explained that “[u]ntil it is eradicated, polio will continue to spread internationally, find and paralyze susceptible kids.”

Securities Disclosure: I, Vivien Diniz, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.