Poliovirus infection

Statutory notification

• Poliovirus infection is a notifiable infectious disease in Western Australia.
• Alert: Cases must be reported urgently by telephone to the local public health unit within a few hours of first suspicion of diagnosis.
• Case definition: See Poliovirus infection (external site) national surveillance case definition.
• Notification: Notify using the communicable disease notification form for metropolitan residents (PDF 209KB) or regional residents (PDF 208KB). For notification of regional residents see contact details of public health units.
• See also description of statutory medical notifications in Western Australia.

Public health summary

• Infectious agent: Poliovirus (genus Enterovirus) types 1, 2, and 3.
• Transmission: Primarily person-to-person spread, principally through the faecal-oral route.
• Incubation period: Usually 7 to 14 days, although it may range from 3 to 35 days.
• Infectious period: Transmission is possible as long as the virus is excreted. Virus typically persists in the throat for approximately 1 week and in faeces for 3 to 6 weeks. Cases are most infectious during the days before and after onset of symptoms.
• Case exclusion: The public health units (Healthy WA) and the Communicable Disease Control Directorate (contact details listed under 'Public Health') will manage case exclusion. Use contact transmission- based precautions for hospitalised and institutionalised patients.
• Contact exclusion: Household contacts require home quarantine until two negative stool specimens taken 24–48 hours apart have been collected.
• Treatment: Hospitalisation.
• Immunisation: Recommended that children be vaccinated according to the Western Australian immunisation schedule. See Australian Immunisation Handbook – Poliomyelitis (external site).
• Case follow up: Conducted by local public health units.

Polio vaccination

• Vaccination is the only way to protect against polio.
• The inactivated poliovirus (IPV) vaccine is safe, highly effective and free for those under 20 years old and humanitarian entrants of any age.
• Check poliovirus vaccination status of patients, where records are available, and offer vaccine, if indicated.
• Children under 10 years of age should receive a total of 4 doses, given at least 4 weeks apart. If the third dose is given at older than 4 years of age, then only 3 total doses are required.
• Children aged 10 years and older require a total of 3 doses, with a minimum interval of 4 weeks between each dose.

Guidelines for public health units

• Western Australian immunisation schedule
• Australian Immunisation Handbook – Poliomyelitis (external site)
• Protocol for accessing immunoglobulin blood products for public health indications in WA (PDF 470KB)

Notifiable disease data and reports

• Notifiable infectious disease dashboard
• General infectious disease reports