Poliomyelitis in Spain, 1982-1984: virologic and epidemiologic studies

The authors present a detailed study of poliomyelitis in Spain for the years 1982, 1983, and 1984. The 50 cases reported have been epidemiologically classified following World Health Organization guidelines. Virus was isolated from 43 of these cases. Intratypic characterization was done using specifically absorbed antisera classifying the strains as non-Sabin-like and Sabin-like. The neutralizing antibodies in whole and fractionated sera were also determined. The largest number of paralytic poliomyelitis cases, 28, was found in children in the first year of life. Thirty of the cases were unvaccinated children. Poliomyelitis was not detected in adults during the period described. Wild strains isolated were type I and III, primarily from Gypsies. There was a significant incidence of vaccine-associated cases in recipients, as well as in contacts during 1982 and 1983. The cases were located in the Mediterranean and Southern zone. In 1984, total and vaccine-associated cases dropped dramatically.