A subregional meeting of the WHO Polio Laboratory Network, organized by the WHO Regional Office for Europe (WHO/Europe), took place in Istanbul, Turkey on 11-13 October 2011. The directors of 16 laboratories, together with the virologists and epidemiologists from the Regional Office for Europe, gathered to present and review the virological findings from 12 countries and to explore the possibilities for a more rapid exchange of information and for shortening the time needed for investigation. The new online Laboratory Data Management System (LDMS), developed by the Vaccine-preventable Diseases and Immunization (VPI) Programme at WHO/Europe, provides a near real-time monitoring of virus isolation data and greatly facilitates the linkage between laboratory results and epidemiological records in the Computerized Information System for Infectious Diseases (CISID) - another online information product of VPI, which changed the way the data on communicable diseases are presented and analyzed.
Having once again confirmed that laboratories in the network have maintained high standards of work, the participants of the meeting also discussed the challenges of insufficient staff and funding, which may threaten their work in the future. The difficulties with cross-border shipment of diagnostic specimens and virus isolates, which cause undue delays in investigations, were especially noted and the participants made a call for assistance from all national governments to help the network receive samples in a timely manner.
Paralytic poliomyelitis cases caused by wild poliovirus continue to be detected in four remaining endemic countries – Afghanistan, India, Nigeria and Pakistan – with a further four countries known to have (Angola, Chad and Democratic Republic of the Congo) or suspected of having (Sudan) re-established transmission of poliovirus. Several more countries had ongoing outbreaks in 2010 and 2011 due to importations of poliovirus, including those in areas neighbouring the WHO European Region. Most recently, cases of polio have been reported in China, which borders Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation of the WHO European Region. Afghanistan and Pakistan, two endemic countries, also border or are in close proximity to the central Asia countries of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The WHO Polio Lab Network comprises more than 40 laboratories that monitor the human population and environment for any signs of poliovirus being imported into Europe. The data generated by the network last year helped provide evidence at the 25th Regional Certification Commission in August 2011 that led to the European Region retaining its polio-free certification