Acute Flaccid Paralysis
This survey aimed to investigate whether paralytic "wild" polio still existed in the British Isles. The team investigated the clinical and laboratory features of new cases of acute flaccid paralysis to identify any caused by poliovirus and, if so, to distinguish "wild" strains from vaccine-like strains.
Lead investigator
Dr N Begg
About the study
At the time of the study, for a country to gain a certificate of poliovirus eradication as part of the WHO’s commitment to global eradication of polio by the year 2000, active clinical surveillance of suspected “wild” polio had to be undertaken. Countries had to be able to detect and investigate all cases of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) in children.
Although paralytic polio was a notifiable disease, less than half of all cases diagnosed in England and Wales between 1985 and 1990 had been reported.
This study investigated the annual incidence of acute flaccid paralysis in children. In cases of acute flaccid paralysis, the team investigated the clinical features of the acute illness and whether residual paralysis was present after 60 days. The team also investigated whether the illness was due to poliovirus infection, and if so, whether it was a “wild” or vaccine-like virus.
Duration
July 1991 – June 1994
Published papers
Support group