Open AccessAustralian National Enterovirus Reference Laboratory annual report, 2019
Author(s) -
Linda K Hobday,
Aishah Ibrahim,
Matthew E Kaye,
Leesa D. Bruggink,
Presa Chanthalavanh,
Arnau Garcia-Clapes,
Jason A. Roberts,
Bruce R Thorley
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
communicable diseases intelligence
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2209-6051
DOI - 10.33321/cdi.2020.44.94
Subject(s) - enterovirus , poliomyelitis , medicine , acute flaccid paralysis , echovirus , coxsackievirus , poliovirus , pediatrics , disease surveillance , epidemiology , environmental health , virology , pathology , virus
Australia monitors its polio-free status by conducting surveillance for cases of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) in children less than 15 years of age, as recommended by the World Health Organization. Cases of AFP in children are notified to the Australian Paediatric Surveillance Unit or the Paediatric Active Enhanced Disease Surveillance System and faecal specimens are referred for virological investigation to the National Enterovirus Reference Laboratory. In 2019, no cases of poliomyelitis were reported from clinical surveillance and Australia reported 1.34 non-polio AFP cases per 100,000 children, meeting the World Health Organization’s performance criterion for a sensitive surveillance system. The non-polio enteroviruses coxsackievirus A2, coxsackievirus A16, echovirus 9, and enterovirus A71 were identified from clinical specimens collected from AFP cases. Australia also performs enterovirus and environmental surveillance to complement the clinical system focussed on children. In 2019, 175 cases of wild polio were reported, with three countries remaining endemic: Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan.