Brazil's response to the polio outbreak in Angola.

The Brazilian government responded to the poliomyelitis outbreak in Angola by organizing a team tasked at implementing measures that would avoid the risk of importation of wild poliovirus to their country. This team is comprised of representatives from the National Health Foundation of the Ministry of Health and a staff from the Pan American Health Organization. The team enhanced the surveillance of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) in hospitals of cities that were most likely to have visitors from Angola. In Rio de Janeiro, children under 5 years who were living in areas with the most number of Angolans were administered with oral poliomyelitis vaccine (OPV). Furthermore, the National Immunization Advisory Committee recommended that all people traveling from Brazil to Angola and to other endemic areas should be immunized with at least one dose of OPV prior to traveling. Physicians were also advised to follow certain recommendations that include immediate notification of any AFP case, full investigation, and immunization guidelines for travelers. In addition, all 27 states agreed to review coverage data by municipality so that risk areas or groups can be identified.