A case study of a circulating vaccine derived polio virus in a Nomad in Zaria – Kaduna state, Nigeria

Abstract

Immunization regarding polio has yielded quite a tremendous positive impact as a result of campaigns and involvement of various stake holders from the grass root to the federal level in Nigeria. Interventions from international agencies and organizations in light of synergic partnership with Nigeria in order to tackle polio cannot be overemphasized. All these have helped to place Nigeria as one of the polio – free nations in the world. This was retrospective case study involving a 2 year old female orphan who was moved from a hygiene and sanitation- deficient and non-immune susceptible settlement fulani settlement in Kubau LGA to Anguwan Alkali community in Zaria in order to live with her grandmother. She was taken to Babban Dodo PHC in Zaria for community management of acute malnutrition programme as a malnourished child. The child was claimed to have been vaccinated. On the 18th of August 2018, the Assistant District Nursing officer of Zaria LGA, Kaduna State, Nigeria was notified about case of a sudden onset of left limb flaccid paralysis that started on the 17th of August 2018. The case was reported to the Kaduna state ministry of health. After fitting the AFP case definition. Stool sample was taken for laboratory investigation. The sample was sent to the National Level Polio Immunization Laboratory at the University of Ibadan on the 21st August 2018. The laboratory test results came out positive for cVDPV2. Results from the community survey also showed that most of the catchment settlement for PHC Anguwan Alkali has RI coverage of less than 70%. The detection of the cVDPV2 strains underscores the importance of maintaining high level of often Routine Immunization coverage at all levels to minimize the risk and consequences of any poliovirus circulation in Zaria LGA-Nigeria