A circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) was found in an environmental sample taken from Koforidua, the regional capital of Eastern Africa, according to the Ministry of Health.
This discovery resulted from routine surveillance carried out by the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research’s Polio Laboratory.
A news release dated Tuesday, September 17 stated that Dr. Bernard Okoe-Boye, the Health Minister, verified that the sample, obtained on August 20, was recognized as cVDPV2 on September 5.
Dr. Okoe-Boye has called this discovery a “public health emergency” and underlined how critical it is to act quickly to stop the virus from spreading.
As a result, the Ministry of Health has started field research in collaboration with the Ghana Health Service to identify the virus’s origin and determine the likelihood that it would spread across geographic boundaries and infect human populations. For more thorough monitoring, enhanced surveillance mechanisms have also been put in place.
Precautionary measures like increased handwashing, appropriate sanitation, and safe faecal disposal are advocated for the general public.
To boost immunity against the virus, parents are also asked to make sure their kids finish their recommended vaccine schedules.
Read statement below:
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