As of September 7, 1982, 388 cases of paralytic poliomyelitis
have
been reported to the health authorities from all counties in
Taiwan.
The first reported case of laboratory-confirmed type 1 paralytic
poliomyelitis occurred in Tai Chung City with onset on May 29,
1982.
Fifty-six percent of Taiwan's reported cases were among children
under
2 years of age, and 15% were 2-4 years old. The youngest reported
patient was 4 months old and the oldest was 32 years old.
Vaccination
status was known for 71% of patients: 56% of these had no prior
polio
vaccine, 37% had only one or two doses, and 7% had three or more
doses. Twenty-nine type 1 polioviruses have been isolated from
specimens from the 48 patients with paralytic disease that have
been
tested to date.
From 1975 through 1981, fewer than nine cases per year of
paralytic poliomyelitis had been reported in Taiwan. The last year
in
which there were as many cases as are currently being reported was
1966 when there were 400 cases. Health authorities have undertaken
a
mass vaccination program utilizing trivalent oral polio vaccine
directed, initially, at the population under 5 years of age and,
subsequently, at persons through primary school age (up to 12
years).
Reported by Health Authorities, Taipei, Taiwan; Div of Viral
Diseases,
Center for Infectious Diseases, Quarantine Div, Immunization Div,
Center for Prevention Svcs, CDC.
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