title: Stool screening of Syrian refugees and asylum seekers in Germany, 2013/2014: Identification of Sabin like polioviruses.
abstract: Germany is a partner of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. Assurance of polio free status is based on enterovirus surveillance, which focuses on patients with signs of acute flaccid paralysis or aseptic meningitis/encephalitis, representing the key symptoms of poliovirus infection. In response to the wild poliovirus outbreak in Syria 2013 and high number of refugees coming from Syria to Germany, stool samples from 629 Syrian refugees/asylum seekers aged <3 years were screened for wild poliovirus between November 2013 and April 2014. Ninety-three samples (14.8%) were positive in an enterovirus specific PCR. Of these, 12 contained Sabin-like polioviruses. The remaining 81 samples were characterized as non-polio enteroviruses representing several members of groups A-C as well as rhinovirus. Wild-type poliovirus was not detected via stool screening involving molecular and virological methods, indicating a very low risk for the importation by Syrian refugees and asylum seekers at that time.
authors: National Reference Laboratory for Poliomyelitis and Enteroviruses, Robert Koch Institute, PO Box 65 02 61, 13302 Berlin, Germany.
authors: Sindy
authors: S
authors: Böttcher
authors: Office of the National Commission for Polioeradication in Germany, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany.
authors: Katrin
authors: K
authors: Neubauer
authors: Governmental Institute of Public Health of Lower Saxony (NLGA), Hannover, Germany.
authors: Armin
authors: A
authors: Baillot
authors: Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority (LGL), Oberschleissheim, Germany.
authors: Gabriele
authors: G
authors: Rieder
authors: Governmental Institute of Public Health of Baden-Wuerttemberg (LGA), Stuttgart, Germany.
authors: Maja
authors: M
authors: Adam
authors: National Reference Laboratory for Poliomyelitis and Enteroviruses, Robert Koch Institute, PO Box 65 02 61, 13302 Berlin, Germany. Electronic address: DiedrichS@rki.de.
authors: Sabine
authors: S
authors: Diedrich
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005243:Feces / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D017955:Poliovirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012036:Refugees; D013593:Syria; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Enterovirus; Polio; Polio eradication; Stool screening