Burundi Declares Outbreak of Polio

The World Health Organization stated in a report that health officials in Burundi announced today, Friday, an outbreak of the polio virus after confirming eight cases. The organization added, "Type 2 poliovirus infection can occur when the weakened strain of the virus found in the oral polio vaccine spreads among populations that have not been vaccinated for a long time. The discovery of these cases is concerning as they are the first cases linked to the use of a new vaccine, the new oral type 2 polio vaccine specifically developed to reduce this risk." The Global Polio Eradication Initiative stated in a report that "six children in the Tanganyika region in eastern Congo and the Kivu region in the south have been confirmed infected with this virus."