Effect of the administration of oral poliovirus vaccine on infantile diarrhoea mortality.
Infectious diarrhoea is one leading cause of infantile mortality in developing countries. Rotaviruses and other enteroviruses have an important role in diarrhoea but, currently, there are no vaccines available to immunize infants. The use of oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) over two decades has shown that, besides protecting effectively against poliomyelitis, it can interfere with intestinal infection by other enteroviruses. This interference by the vaccine viruses could explain two epidemiological observations showing that repeated and massive administration of OPV was followed by a statistically significant decrease of infantile diarrhoea mortality. OPV administration could have two objectives: to prevent poliomyelitis and to reduce infantile diarrhoea of viral aetiology.
Contreras
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Department of Health and Welfare, Virus Laboratory, Tunney's Pasture, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
D003906:Developing Countries; D003968:Diarrhea, Infantile / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011055:Poliovirus Vaccine, Oral / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D011055:Poliovirus Vaccine, Oral