[Contribution to knowledge about the permanence and circulation of poliovirus vaccine in the environment]

The erradication of poliomyelitis in the world is a goal that requires the adoption of effective and safe strategies for its attainment. Knowing how long the strains of poliovirus derived from the oral attenuated virus vaccine may circulate and remain in the environment was essential to define the measures to be taken and was also the objective of our paper. Specimens of stools and sewage water, which were weekly obtained at the end of the National Polio Vaccination Campaign, in 1998, were analyzed. Viruses were isolated and identified by culture and neutralization tests for the identification of poliovirus. In the particular case of the sewage water, it was also used the polymerase chain reaction. The curves of elimination in both media were drawn and it was concluded that the permanence of viruses in the environment did not exceed the 12 weeks after the immunization with the oral attenuated virus vaccine.