The nearly extinct polio virus just resurfaced in Africa

The Malawi case involves a 3-year-old girl who tragically developed paralysis in November 2021. In late November, her stool samples were collected, and by February, testing confirmed that she had indeed contracted polio. Genetic analysis of her infection indicates that it originated from a strain from Pakistan dating back to 2019. Because the case appears to have been imported from there, it won’t affect Africa’s polio-free status for now, but the news is troubling nonetheless.

“As long as wild polio exists anywhere in the world all countries remain at risk of importation of the virus,” said Matshidiso Moeti, World Health Organization Regional Director for Africa, in a statement. “Following the detection of wild polio in Malawi, we’re taking urgent measures to forestall its potential spread. Thanks to a high level of polio surveillance in the continent and the capacity to quickly detect the virus, we can swiftly launch a rapid response and protect children from the debilitating impact of this disease.”