Poliovirus type 1 has been detected in diagnostic samples from cases of Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) from Tajikistan. This represents the first importation of poliovirus in the WHO European Region since it was certified polio-free in 2002.
As of 21 April 2010, 120 cases of acute flaccid paralysis had been reported from Tajikistan. The majority of these have onset of paralysis within the past 2 weeks, prompting the Government to notify WHO of an outbreak. Ten of the children have died. The vast majority of the cases are children < five years of age.