The maintaining of the active laboratory-based surveillance of the acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) cases in Romania in the framework of the strategic plan of the global polio eradication initiative.

Until 2008 poliomyelitis was controlled in Romania by predominantly using Oral Poliovirus Vaccine Sabin (OPV); the alternative vaccination schedule (IPV formalin Inactivated Poliovirus Vaccine/OPV) will be implemented starting September 2008. The vaccination coverage with 4 doses of TOPV (trivalent oral polio vaccine) in the first 14 months of life has been > 90% since 1980. In Romania, the risk of the Vaccine-Associated Paralytic Poliomyelitis cases (VAPP) decreased from less than 2 VAPP cases/year in the 1995-2006 interval to 0 VAPP cases in 2007.

The molecular characterization of poliovirus strains by the RT-PCR-RFLP assay and its use in the active surveillance for acute flaccid paralysis cases in Romania between 2001-2006.

Poliomyelitis, an acute disease of the the central nervous system can be controlled through the use of inactivated virus vaccine (IPV) or live attenuated vaccine (OPV). The goal of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative is to stop the global transmission of poliovirus. Our study is a retrospective and prospective study that was made because in 2002 was isolated from one acute flaccid paralysis AFP case and eight healthy contacts belonging to the same small socio-cultural group having a low vaccine coverage living in Babadag a town in Romania a serotype 1 vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV), recombinant S1/S2/S1.

Immune status to polioviruses in the child population of Romania between 2002-2005 as indicated by serological investigation in cases of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) and facial paralysis (FP) and its use as a "national reference value" to evaluate the vaccination coverage in particular groups of healthy children.

Although the European region is polio free since 2002, the risk of importation from endemic regions remains present and a high level of population immunity must be maintained. In Romania during the period 2002-2005, 101 FP cases, 91 AFP cases and 29 healthy contacts (living in groups with low social and sanitary status, relatively low vaccination coverage named "at risk") could have been investigated serologically. Antibody prevalences for poliovirus types 1, 2, and 3 were: 97.

Circulation of a type 1 recombinant vaccine-derived poliovirus strain in a limited area in Romania.

After intensive immunisation campaigns with the oral polio vaccine (OPV) as part of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, poliomyelitis due to wild viruses has disappeared from most parts of the world, including Europe. Here, we report the characterization of a serotype 1 vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV) isolated from one acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) case with tetraplegia and eight healthy contacts belonging to the same small socio-cultural group having a low vaccine coverage living in a small town in Romania. The genomes of the isolated strains appeared to be tripartite type 1/type 2/type 1 vaccine intertypic recombinant genomes derived from a common ancestor strain.

Genomic features of intertypic recombinant sabin poliovirus strains excreted by primary vaccinees.

The trivalent oral poliomyelitis vaccine (OPV) contains three different poliovirus serotypes. It use therefore creates particularly favorable conditions for mixed infection of gut cells, and indeed intertypic vaccine-derived recombinants (VdRec) have been frequently found in patients with vaccine-associated paralytic poliomyelitis. Nevertheless, there have not been extensive searches for VdRec in healthy vaccinees following immunization with OPV.