DETECTION OF SECRETORY AND SERUM SPECIFIC ANTIBODIES TO POLIOVIRUSES IN SELECTED AREAS IN ALEXANDRIA

Abstract

Poliomyelitis is an acute viral infection . It is one of the communicable diseases affecting the central nervous system , and independently resulting in paralysis . Poliovirus infection may be restricted to the intestine , or may spread systemically with or without reaching the CNS .

Paralytic poliomyelitis occurs both sporadically and epidemically. However major epidemiological changes have affected poliomyelitis since the introduction of poliovaccines 111 the mid 1950s . Two types of vaccines are available , one is formalin inactivated (Salk vaccine , IPV) which is given parenterally and the other is live attenuated (Sabin vaccine , OPV) which is given orally. OPV is the vaccine of choice . It is still recommended as the primary vaccine for most countries including Egypt , as it confers both humoral and intestinal immunity like the natural infection . Available technologies hold the promise of being able to eradicate poliomyelitis , and the WHO is providing global leadership to achieve this goal by the year 2000 . One of the major elements of poliomyelitis eradication strategy is achieving and sustaining high levels of immunization coverage . Thus , it will become increasingly important to evaluate the efficacy of OPV and the immunization schedules currently in use to determine whether they will be sufficient to achieve and sustain interruption in transmission of wild polioviruses among the population .