14 polio cases reported in Philippines: WHO

January 15, 2020

Six new polio cases have been reported in the Philippines, said the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef), bringing the total to 14 since the disease returned in the country last year. 

Based on the WHO/Unicef Situation Report 13 of the polio outbreak in the Philippines, there are now a total of 14 confirmed Circulating Vaccine Derived Polio Virus (cVDDPV) cases as of January 15.

"Currently 11 human cases confirmed with cVDPV2; one case with cVDPV1; one case with VDPV1; and one case with immunodeficiency-related VDPV type 2 (iVDPV2)," said the report. 

The new cases are a two-year old male, less than a year old male, less than six month-old male, two-year old male, and three-year old male, all from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), and a four-year old female from Soccsksargen. 

It said three cVDPV1 cases reported from the Sabah State of Malaysia were confirmed to be "genetically linked" to the Basilan case. 

It is not known if  the three cases from Sabah, where the Philippines has a long-standing claim, are among the six additional cases in the country. 

Last year, the Department of Health (DOH) confirmed a total of eight polio cases in the Philippines, with seven from Mindanao and one from Laguna. 

Before 2019, the Philippines had been declared polio-free since October 2000. 

"Current polio outbreak resulting from persistently low routine immunization coverage, and poor sanitation and hygiene," said the WHO/Unicef report. 

Last week, the DOH said it will extend the synchronized oral polio vaccine (OPV) campaign in the National Capital Region (NCR) and in Mindanao until April. DMS