Oral poliovirus vaccine type 3 from a patient with transverse myelitis is neurovirulent in a transgenic mouse model.

Background: It is accepted that oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) can cause vaccine-associated paralytic poliomyelitis (VAPP) and that wild poliovirus infection can rarely present as transverse myelitis. It is therefore possible that OPV could cause transverse myelitis. We previously reported a case of transverse myelitis that developed in a 6-month-old boy, 7 days after receiving his second dose of OPV.

Annual report of the Australian National Poliovirus Reference Laboratory, 2006.

The Australian National Poliovirus Reference Laboratory (NPRL), located within the Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory, is the national laboratory for Australia, the Pacific Islands and Brunei Darussalam, and is accredited by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the Regional Reference Laboratory for the WHO Western Pacific Region. The NPRL, in collaboration with the Australian Paediatric Surveillance Unit, co-ordinates surveillance for acute flaccid paralysis (AFP), the major clinical presentation of poliovirus infection. After classification of AFP cases by the Polio Expert Committee, the non-polio AFP rate for Australia in 2006 was 1.

Annual report of the Australian National Poliovirus Reference Laboratory 2005.

In May 1988 the World Health Assembly adopted a resolution for the global eradication of poliomyelitis. Since then two target dates for eradication (2000 and 2003) have passed and the struggle to eradicate the poliovirus continues. Australia's commitment to the worldwide campaign began in December 1994 with the designation of the National Poliovirus Reference Laboratory at the Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory and the initiation of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance in March 1995.

Annual report of the Australian National Poliovirus Reference Laboratory, 2004.

The Australian National Poliovirus Reference Laboratory at the Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory is the World Health Organization designated laboratory for the isolation and testing of poliovirus from clinical specimens within Australia, the Pacific Island countries and Brunei Darussalam. Surveillance for acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) within Australia, the main clinical manifestation of poliomyelitis, is also coordinated at the Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory in conjunction with the Australian Paediatric Surveillance Unit. The annual non-polio acute flaccid paralysis rate after classification of cases by the Polio Expert Committee was 1.

Annual report of the Australian National Poliovirus Reference Laboratory, 2003.

The Australian National Poliovirus Reference Laboratory was established in late 1994, as part of Australia's commitment to the World Health Organization's (WHO) polio eradication program. The laboratory continues to play a pivotal role in maintaining Australia's polio-free status through surveillance for cases of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP), the main clinical presentation of poliomyelitis, and the testing of specimens from these cases. The annual notification rate for eligible cases of AFP in Australia for 2003 was 0.

Circulation of type 1 vaccine-derived poliovirus in the Philippines in 2001.

In 2001, highly evolved type 1 circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV) was isolated from three acute flaccid paralysis patients and one contact from three separate communities in the Philippines. Complete genomic sequencing of these four cVDPV isolates revealed that the capsid region was derived from the Sabin 1 vaccine strain but most of the noncapsid region was derived from an unidentified enterovirus unrelated to the oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) strains. The sequences of the cVDPV isolates were closely related to each other, and the isolates had a common recombination site.

Annual report of the Australian National Poliovirus Reference Laboratory, 2002.

Acute flaccid paralysis is the main clinical manifestation of poliomyelitis. Faecal specimens from cases of acute flaccid paralysis in Australia are referred to the National Poliovirus Reference Laboratory for virus culture to determine if poliovirus is the causative agent. Isolations of poliovirus are tested to determine whether they have characteristics of the Sabin oral polio vaccine virus strains or wild type polioviruses.

Annual report of the Australian National Poliovirus Reference Laboratory and summary of acute flaccid paralysis surveillance, 2001.

The National Poliovirus Reference Laboratory at the Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory (VIDRL) is responsible for poliovirus testing for Australia and the Pacific Island countries. It is also a regional reference laboratory for the Western Pacific Region of the World Health Organization. Surveillance for acute flaccid paralysis, a clinical manifestation of poliomyelitis, is coordinated at VIDRL in collaboration with the Australian Paediatric Surveillance Unit.