[German Health survey 1997/98: immune status against poliomyelitis]

One of the goals of the WHO is the worldwide eradication of poliomyelitis in the next years. A high level of population immunity protects against imported wild viruses from endemic areas.

The first German Health Survey, a representative study of the health status of the population (aged between 17 and 79 years) in unified Germany, was started in 1997. In order to study the serological status against poliomyelitis, a representative serum panel was investigated (n = 2564). Furthermore, 881 sera from persons aged less than 18 years were included in the study. The microneutralization test was used to demonstrate antibodies against the three poliovirus types. For the first time, the results were expressed in International Units. The threshold values 0.075 IU, 0.180 IU, 0.080 IU were calculated for Polio 1, 2, 3 respectively.

Overall, neutralizing antibodies against poliovirus type 1, 2 and 3 were detected in 96.2%; 96.8% and 89.6% of samples, respectively. 85% of test persons had antibodies against all three virus types.

The seroprevalence of antibodies against all three types of polioviruses indicates a very high population immunity. It must be kept after the switch of immunization strategy from attenuated to inactivated vaccine in Germany (OPV to IPV).