[Guidelines for vaccination of immunocompromised individuals].

Immunosuppression of various origins is associated with an increased risk of infection; therefore the prevention of infectious diseases by vaccination is especially important in immunocompromised patients. However, the response to vaccinations is often reduced in these risk groups and the application of live vaccines is contraindicated during immunosuppression.In the following expert statement, recommendations for vaccination were created on the basis of current evidence and theoretical/immunological considerations.

Epidemiology of enterovirus types causing neurological disease in Austria 1999-2007: detection of clusters of echovirus 30 and enterovirus 71 and analysis of prevalent genotypes.

Between 1999 and 2007 1,388 stool specimens from patients with acute flaccid paralysis or aseptic meningitis were submitted to the Austrian reference laboratory for poliomyelitis. Samples (201) yielded non-poliovirus enterovirus in culture. One hundred eighty-one viruses were available for typing and 78 isolates which remained serologically untyped were further analyzed by CODEHOP-PCR and sequencing of the VP1 gene and the 5'-untranslated region (5'-UTR).

[WHO Polio Eradication Programme:Status quo and implementation in Austria].

In 1988 the 41(th) World Health Assembly declared polio to be worldwide eradicated until the year 2000. Although this ambitious aim could not be reached completely, the yearly worldwide incidence was reduced by 99% and three WHO-Regions were declared polio-free (Americans, West Pacific, Europe). To maintain this status the following measures have to be carried out: polio vaccination, enterovirus surveillance, AFP-surveillance, quality control of laboratories and notification of labs keeping stocks of polio wildvirus.