Polio in Nigeria

Released: July 27, 2009

• Travel Health Notice
• About Polio
• Where is Polio a concern
• Recommendations to Travellers
• Don't Forget...
• Other Related Information

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Travel Health Notice

The World Health Organization has reported a large outbreak of polio in the northern states of Nigeria that has also spread to Niger.  As of July 17 2009, there have been 258 cases compared to 32 cases for the same period in 2008.

The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) recommends that travellers get vaccinated against polio (poliomyelitis) when going to Nigeria as well as to any country where there is a risk of infection .

For a map of infected districts and a list of countries with confirmed cases of polio , please visit the website of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative .

Make sure you check with the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada's advice on travel to Nigeria.

About Polio (poliomyelitis)

Polio is contagious disease.  It can be prevented by vaccination.

Symptoms

• Can take 3 to 35 days to appear.
• Most people have no symptoms when they are infected. 
• Some people develop mild symptoms including fever, sore throat, muscle aches and pains, drowsiness, headache, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain or constipation.
• In more severe cases, the disease affects the spinal cord or the brain causing paralysis.  Polio can be fatal.

Transmission

• Mainly fecal-oral transmission.
• Polio is spread through close personal contact with secretions (fluids) from an infected person’s nose and throat, for example, when they sneeze or cough.

It can also be spread by eating food or drinking water contaminated through poor personal hygiene, poor sanitation, or poor control of sewage.

Where is Polio a concern?

• Polio continues to occur (endemic) in four countries: India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria.
• There have been confirmed cases of wild polio in 2008-2009 in the following countries: Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Nepal, Niger, Sudan, Togo and Uganda.
• For up-to-date information on countries reporting polio, visit the website of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative .

Recommendations to Travellers

1. Get Vaccinated
   1. All travellers need to get vaccinated if they are going to:
      1. Countries where polio is endemic.
      2. Countries with recently imported cases of polio.
      3. Countries that are close to those where polio is endemic, or those where recent cases have been reported.
   2. For infants and children under 18 years of age: 
      1. Polio is part of the routine vaccine schedule in Canada. See provincial/territorial immunization schedules for further information.
      2. If the routine vaccine schedule is not complete before travel, talk to a health care provider about getting the remaining doses before leaving.
   3. For adults 18 years of age and older:
      1. If you have completed your polio vaccine series and have not received a booster dose against polio since your 18th birthday:
      2. Get a one-time booster dose before leaving. If you have not completed your polio vaccine series:
         1. Get the remaining doses before leaving.
      3. If you have not received any vaccines against polio:
         1. Get fully vaccinated against polio.
2. Practice safe food and water precautions Boil it, cook it, peel it or leave it!
   • Always wash your hands before eating and drinking.
   • Eat only food that has been well cooked and is still hot when served. Avoid uncooked foods, especially shellfish and salads.
   • Drink and use ice from only purified water that has been boiled or disinfected with chlorine or iodine, or commercially bottled water in sealed containers. Carbonated drinks, including beer, are usually safe.
   • Avoid unpasteurized dairy products.
   • Avoid food from street vendors.
   • Avoid swimming in polluted or contaminated water.
   • Brush your teeth with purified or bottled water.

Don't Forget …

1. Consult a health care provider, or visit a travel health clinic before you travel.  It is best if this visit takes place at least 6 weeks before departure. 
2. What to do if you get sick when you are travelling.
3. What to do if you get sick after you return to Canada.
4. Know what vaccines you need and when to get them.

Other Related Information

• Public Health Agency of Canada – Polio
• Committee to Advise on Tropical Medicine and Travel (CATMAT) - Poliomyelitis Vaccination for International Travellers
• World Health Organization - Poliomyelitis
• Global Polio Eradication Initiative