Articles tagged with Polio
A new survey by the Annenberg Public Policy Center finds a small but significant drop in the proportion of the public that would recommend getting the MMR vaccine, citing concerns over its safety and effectiveness. The survey also shows declines in perceived safety and effectiveness for other vaccines, such as seasonal flu and Covid-19.
Public Health Alerts provide concise, data-driven information on disease outbreaks and urgent health events. The new series, launched by NEJM Evidence and CIDRAP, offers expert-reviewed reports to support public health evidence-based care.
A study found that viral interactions inside cells influence antiviral resistance outcomes, while a less potent drug may ironically improve its future utility by promoting social interactions in viruses. The researchers suggest a trade-off between hitting the virus hard and allowing resistance to rise.
A Dutch study found that vaccination coverage among children declined faster in households with lower income and those not attending daycare. The study, which analyzed over 2 million children, identified sociodemographic factors contributing to the decline, including parental education and migration background.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) emphasizes the need for high immunization coverage to protect European populations from diseases like measles and polio. Vaccination remains a crucial tool in public health, with recent data showing a tenfold surge in reported measles cases in the EU/EEA.
Researchers have identified a combination of drugs that prevents enteroviruses from replicating, which could lead to an effective treatment for global health problem. The combination includes pleconaril, AG7404, and mindeudesivir, which shows great potential for finding broad-spectrum treatment methods against enteroviruses.
Researchers at Lancaster University discovered a new type of vaccine-specific scepticism, where some people perceive COVID-19 vaccines as 'not a vaccine' compared to MMR. This phenomenon may also apply to the flu vaccine, highlighting the need for clear public health messaging.
Researchers at the University of Leeds have developed a more affordable and lower-risk polio vaccine using virus-like particles (VLPs). VLPs mimic the outer protein shell of poliovirus but are empty inside, making them non-infectious yet capable of triggering an immune response.
The EU/EEA has detected circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) in sewage samples, prompting increased vigilance. To prevent a return of the disease, countries must maintain high vaccination rates and close vaccination gaps, as well as strengthen environmental surveillance.
A high number of poliovirus detections in European countries has highlighted the importance of maintaining high vaccination coverage. The virus can be imported into Europe as long as it circulates globally, posing a risk to unvaccinated populations.
Researchers at Rice University have developed a time-release technology called PULSED that could help protect against poliomyelitis in combination vaccines. The technology would allow poliovirus-like particles to be released from microparticles after a few days, ensuring full vaccination efficacy.
Researchers at Brown University found that temperature increases enterovirus transmission, with a similar effect seen in polio historically and more recent enteroviruses causing hand, foot and mouth disease. Climate change may lead to increased intensity of outbreaks, particularly in regions with larger seasonal temperature ranges.
Prof. Tomer Hertz's research will measure immune responses to polioviruses using a novel antigen array, facilitating rapid analysis in countries where polio has yet to be eradicated. The funding aims to optimize PAM – a polio antigen microarray – for safe and effective measurement of protection from polio infection.
A growing concern in Europe and globally, enterovirus paralysis can cause devastating symptoms similar to polio. Surveillance systems are desperately needed to identify the scale of this threat.
Scientists at UCSF and NIBSC have developed two new oral polio vaccines with genetically engineered weakened poliovirus to reduce reversion to dangerous forms. These vaccines aim to boost the World Health Organization's efforts to eradicate polio, which has persisted despite successful international vaccination campaigns.
Global immunization efforts have made polio a rare disease, but healthcare workers still need to be vigilant for acute flaccid paralysis. Dr. Marina Salvadori emphasizes the importance of alerting healthcare workers to this diagnosis as elimination is within reach.
The US ranks last in vaccination rates among the world's richest countries, with a mortality rate from COVID-19 30 times higher than influenza. Boosters can reduce the risk of dying and hospitalization by over 90%. All US adults and eligible children should receive booster shots to protect against future variants.
Poliovirus researchers at Umeå University have gained a new understanding of how the virus behaves in infected cells, revealing key protein roles and cellular processes involved. This breakthrough could lead to the development of new antiviral treatments and vaccines targeting the autophagy system.
A polio outbreak risk has been heightened in western Ukraine due to the reintroduction of wild-type poliovirus and low immunization rates. The situation has worsened with the COVID-19 pandemic, ongoing war, and healthcare reforms, leading to a public health emergency declaration.
The study suggests that COVID-19 eradication is technically possible due to the availability of safe vaccines, lifelong immunity, and effective government management. However, securing high vaccine coverage and responding quickly to variants are major challenges.
The World Health Organization has fired 500 staff on the polio programme, potentially ending a multibillion-dollar crusade. Despite reducing cases by 99.99%, polio efforts have been stagnant for years, raising questions about the effectiveness of funding and integration with routine immunization services.
A study on India's successful polio vaccination program reveals that managerial strategies, including bundling healthcare services, engaging stakeholders, and implementing accountability mechanisms, were crucial to its success. The findings highlight the importance of addressing social trust and political vulnerability in mass vaccinat...
The global polio eradication initiative is facing setbacks due to ongoing outbreaks in Afghanistan and Pakistan, despite significant progress made since 2015. The recent special issue of Risk Analysis evaluates the GPEI strategies and finds that the initiative was off track even before the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted immunization activ...
A new poliovirus vaccine has been developed to combat a mutated strain linked to outbreaks in Africa and Asia. The vaccine, known as nOPV2, has shown similar immune responses and improved genetic stability compared to the licensed Sabin oral vaccine.
A genetic study of the live polio vaccine has identified critical mutations that allow the virus to evolve into a more virulent form, posing a risk to eradication efforts. However, the study also found that these changes are not easily transmitted from person to person.
Researchers found concern for others was a key driver of polio vaccination in Israel during a polio resurgence. Understanding the campaign's prosocial nature influenced vaccination behavior, highlighting the role of communication in improving outcomes.
The prevention of polio epidemics is a signature success of science in the 20th century. A new vaccine developed by Jonas Salk and later improved upon by Albert Sabin helped eradicate polio in the West, with the disease no longer a serious threat.
Researchers have developed a new oral polio vaccine that uses genetic wizardry to prevent the virus from evolving into a deadly form. The vaccine showed promise in a Phase 1 clinical trial, with participants generating plentiful antibodies against the poliovirus and no paralysis in mice.
A new oral poliovirus vaccine is urgently needed due to ongoing mutant polio outbreaks. The current OPV2 formulation's continued use contributes to transmission and outbreaks, prompting the need for a novel serotype 2 vaccine.
Acute flaccid myelitis, caused by recent infections including polioviruses or non-polio enteroviruses, presents significant challenges to patients and researchers. Early intensive physical therapy has shown promise in improving outcomes for polio patients, suggesting potential benefits for AFM patients.
Researchers at USC have developed a freeze-dried polio vaccine that retains potency through rehydration, providing full protection against the polio virus. The breakthrough could bring an end to this longtime foe in countries where vaccination rates are spotty.
Researchers highlight importance of environmental surveillance in detecting silent polio transmission, which can lead to paralytic cases if left undetected. The study found that a substantial proportion of children under 10 were likely infected during the 2013 silent polio outbreak in Israel.
A recent study in northwest Pakistan found that high insecurity increases access issues for vaccinators and vaccination rates, leading to a higher incidence of polio. Regional conflict has been cited as a barrier to polio eradication, but this study provides strong evidence supporting the claim.
Researchers from LSTM are utilizing the Polio network of labs to study neglected tropical diseases affecting over a billion people. The Ghana GPLN lab successfully tested for helminths in a pilot study, identifying a prevalence of 22%, while also detecting Strongyloides infections with no surveillance system.
The Global Polio Laboratory Network has successfully tested for soil transmitted helminths and schistosomiasis in Ghana, identifying a prevalence of 22% for combined helminth infections. The study demonstrates the potential for adapting GPLN labs for monitoring and control of neglected tropical diseases.
A recent study published in Scientific Reports has shown that the Nanopatch, a microscopic vaccine delivery platform, is more effective at combating poliovirus than traditional needles and syringes. This breakthrough has significant implications for the eradication of polio, a disease responsible for tens of millions of cases worldwide.
Scientists at the John Innes Centre have produced a new vaccine against poliovirus using virus-like particles grown in plants. The vaccine uses a method that employs virus-like particles (VLPs) - non-pathogenic mimics of poliovirus which are grown in plants.
Researchers like Dr. Julie Pfeiffer are studying poliovirus, a highly infectious childhood disease now close to global eradication, to gain insights into other viruses like Ebola, Zika, and influenza. This basic research can lead to new treatments and vaccines for these viruses.
Researchers at the University of York and others have cracked the 'Enigma Code' of the common cold virus by identifying a hidden decoding mechanism. The study suggests that a single drug could target all strains of the virus, offering a potential cure for conditions like polio and hand foot and mouth disease.
A $420,000 grant has funded a two-year study on Enterovirus 71 (EV71), a relatively new virus compared to polio, which can cause paralysis in young children. The researcher hopes to develop specific and effective treatments for the illnesses caused by EV71.
A research team at the University of Leeds has identified new mutations that make 'empty capsids' stable enough to act as vaccines, replacing traditional killed poliovirus vaccines. The stabilised VLPs are suitable for use after the virus has been eradicated and can be produced without growing live virus.
Researchers have developed a new method to produce stable poliovirus protein shells, which can be used as vaccines and do not require growing live viruses. The shells have been shown to induce high levels of protective antibodies in mice and rats.
A Penn-led team developed an oral vaccine booster that confers immunity against all three serotypes of polio, using a plant-based system to express a protein found in the polio virus. The vaccine induces mucosal and systemic immunity, neutralizing all three serotypes and offering a potential solution to global eradication efforts.
A groundbreaking study released in The Lancet shows that a single injectable dose of inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) along with bivalent oral polio vaccine can protect up to 90% of children from polio. The research demonstrates faster and stronger protection compared to using the oral vaccine alone.
Researchers have created promising new cold-adapted vaccine strains that can grow at lower temperatures, making them ideal for mass production and distribution. These strains are highly unlikely to cause poliomyelitis in humans and can induce a potent immune response when inactivated.
New research shows Islamist insurgency has a strong impact on where polio cases occur, particularly in the past few years, likely due to counterinsurgency strategies. The study suggests that improving vaccines and administration is not enough to eradicate polio; political and social barriers must be addressed.
A patient with an immune deficiency has shed large amounts of live polio virus in their stool for over 20 years, posing a risk to global polio eradication. The highly mutated strain has acquired mutations that reverse the attenuating features of the vaccine strain, making it more difficult to neutralize.
A new study using disease-transmission models shows that silent transmission of poliovirus could continue for more than three years with no reported cases. To ensure eradication, aggressive surveillance and vaccination campaigns must continue in endemic countries after the last reported case.
A new study by University of Michigan graduate research fellow Micaela Martinez-Bakker reveals that silent transmission of poliovirus could continue for more than three years with no reported cases. To ensure eradication, aggressive surveillance programs and vaccination campaigns must continue in endemic countries.
A new review published in Future Microbiology highlights the current state of polio vaccines and future research efforts to ensure eradication. The virus can be prevented through vaccination, with live attenuated oral polio vaccine and inactivated polio vaccine being used to achieve eradication.
Researchers are creating a synthetic vaccine that mimics the structure of the live virus to provide a quicker, easier, and safer alternative. The goal is to eradicate polio without the danger of accidental release associated with traditional vaccines.
A recent review reports on the devastating effects of the Syrian conflict on the healthcare system, including outbreaks of poliomyelitis, measles, and cutaneous leishmaniasis. Vaccination coverage has dropped dramatically, hampering efforts to combat these epidemics.
The Urban Dynamics Institute at Oak Ridge National Laboratory is applying Big Data analysis to improve polio vaccination efforts in developing countries, particularly in Nigeria. The institute will help estimate vaccine needed and target areas of priority, saving time and money.
Scientists have isolated a mutated polio virus that can evade the immune system and render vaccinations ineffective. This discovery is alarming as it threatens to undermine progress made in eradicating polio, which has been nearly eradicated thanks to effective vaccination.
A new study suggests that combining Salk inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) with Sabin live-attenuated oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) improves mucosal immunity and reduces viral shedding. The results could help resolve the long-standing debate over vaccine choice in areas where polio is difficult to eradicate.
A coalition of Muslim leaders and healthcare professionals in northern Nigeria has successfully increased vaccine uptake among local communities, reducing polio cases. The initiative, led by imams, has reversed the region's intense opposition to polio vaccination, promoting a sustainable approach to eradication.
A new study found that injecting a type of polio vaccine, which is rarely used today, can provide better and longer-lasting protection against infection when combined with the oral vaccine. The research suggests that this type of vaccine could be used to boost immunity in people traveling from or to polio-infected countries.
The CDC won the 2014 Franz Edelman Award for its collaboration with Kid Risk, Inc. to combat remaining polio pockets globally using analytics and operations research. The award recognizes the impact of this work on the polio eradication program over the last decade.
Researchers identified a polio-like syndrome in five California children over a year, highlighting the possibility of an emerging infectious polio-like syndrome. The children experienced paralysis affecting one or more limbs with abnormal MRI scans, and two tested positive for enterovirus-68.
Experts warn that a Syria polio outbreak could spread to Europe if vaccination coverage is low, particularly in Bosnia, Ukraine, and Austria. High hygiene standards and large refugee populations are key to preventing transmission.