Polio - Myanmar (Burma)

After the confirmation of a case of paralytic polio in a seven-month-old baby, health authorities are planning a large scale vaccination campaign to contain the disease. For every confirmed case of polio, often there are more infections without symptoms.

This case is the first one diagnosed in the last three years. The infecting strain has been identified as a strain genetically mutated from the version contained in the oral polio vaccine. An immunized person can transmit the weakened virus to others. In very rare cases such as this one, the virus in the vaccine can mutate into a variation that can paralyse, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Travellers should be aware of the risk of exposure to polio and ensure that their childhood vaccinations are up-to-date.