Bauchi govt refutes resurgence of Wild Polio Virus

The Bauchi State Government has dismissed as misleading reports insinuating that the state recorded 38 fresh Wild Polio Virus (WPV) cases.

Dr Rilwan Mohammed, Executive Chairman, Bauchi State Primary Health Care Development Agency, gave the clarification in a statement on Monday in Bauchi.

Mohammed dismissed the reports as “misrepresentation of information,” adding that the last WPV case was recorded in 2013 in the state.

The Chairman said that as part of the post-polio free certification activities, the World Health Organisation (WHO) directed member countries to scale up surveillance, strengthen routine immunisation and public health education to ensure total eradication of the virus.

“The surveillance activities require collection of samples from children with Acute Flaccid Paralysis and from the environment at some designated sites.

“Through robust surveillance system Bauchi State detected 38 cases of Circulating Vaccine Derived Polio Virus out of the 315 samples collected from January to December 2021.

“The circulating vaccine derived polio viruses – referred to as the circulating Mutant Polio Viruses (cMPV) normally results from mutation (change of form/characteristics) of the attenuated polio viruses used in the manufacturing of the polio vaccines.

“These are not Wild Polio Virus (WPV) that causes paralysis but are used as indicators to measure the quality of immunisation services and disease surveillance.

“Bauchi State like other states of the federation remains WPV free.

“The last case of WPV detected in the state was in 2013. All measures to prevent the recurrence of the virus as recommended by WHO are religiously followed in the state.

“It is not WPV but cMPV that is detected in the state,” he said.