A suspicious cluster of sudden flaccid paralysis in war torn Syria has sent alarm bells ringing at the World Health Organization.
The 'ground zero' of the outbreak was in the Deir al Zour province.
Although to date it has not been positively confirmed, WHO officials believe that the results will confirm that the cases of sudden paralysis are a result of infection from wild poliovirus.
Syria is not new to polio outbreaks, but the last case was registered some 14 years ago. The problem is that the province is in the middle of one of the fiercest contention zones where both rebels and Syrian armies are shelling and combating on a daily basis.
With a medical infrastructure that is nearly collapsed, the epidemic cannot be stemmed without international intervention. The other issue is that the civil war has created an immense pool of unvaccinated children, all those under 4 years of age, which could become a devastating situation for Syria's children.
The WHO has issued a worldwide warning to travelers to the region to obtain vaccination before travel.
Source : WHO/ 10.23.13
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