Protocol for the investigation of acute flaccid paralysis and suspected paralytic poliomyelitis

Despite the elimination of indigenous wild poliovirus in Canada, ongoing surveillance for poliomyelitis is important because of the risk of wild virus importation from endemic regions. Most recently, importation of wild poliovirus into Canada occurred in 1993 and 1996,inboth instances with no associated clinical illness. Since 1991, the active surveillance of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) in children less than 15 years old has been carried out in Canada to monitor for suspected cases of paralytic poliomyelitis. AFP surveillance is currently implemented through the Canadian Paediatric Surveillance Program. All suspected cases of paralytic poliomyelitis reported to the Laboratory Centre for Disease Control are evaluated by the national Working Group on Polio Eradication. The proper laboratory and neurological investigation of all AFP cases younger than 15 years old and suspected cases of poliomyelitis of any age is essential for the rapid detection of paralytic poliomyelitis, the most important clinical specimen for laboratory investigation being a stool sample collected within two weeks after the onset of paralysis for viral studies. This paper provides guidelines for investigating all suspected cases of paralytic poliomyelitis, including AFP cases less than 15 years old. Guidelines are also provided for reporting confirmed or suspected cases of paralytic poliomyelitis as well as the incidental finding of wild strain poliovirus, with or without any clinical symptoms.