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Poliovirus infection

Statutory notification

Poliovirus infection is a notifiable infectious disease in Western Australia.
Alert: cases must be reported urgently by telephone to the public health units within a few hours of first suspicion of diagnosis.
See notifiable communicable disease case definitions (Word 1.29MB).
Notifications should be made using the communicable disease notification form for metropolitan residents (PDF 209KB) or regional residents (PDF 208KB).
For notification of regional residents see contact details of public health units.
See also description of statutory medical notifications in Western Australia.

Infectious agent: Poliovirus (genus Enterovirus) types 1, 2, and 3.
Transmission: Primarily person-to-person spread, principally through the faecal-oral route.
Incubation period: Usually 7 to 14 days, although it may range from 3 to 35 days.
Infectious period: Transmission is possible as long as the virus is excreted. Virus typically persists in the throat for approximately 1 week and in faeces for 3 to 6 weeks. Cases are most infectious during the days before and after onset of symptoms.
Case exclusion: The public health units (Healthy WA) and the Communicable Disease Control Directorate (contact details listed under 'Public Health') will manage case exclusion. Use contact transmission- based precautions for hospitalised and institutionalised patients.
Contact exclusion: Household contacts require home quarantine until two negative stool specimens taken 24–48 hours apart have been collected.
Treatment: Hospitalisation.
Immunisation: Recommended that children be vaccinated according to the Western Australian immunisation schedule. See Australian Immunisation Handbook, Department of Health – Poliomyelitis (external site).
Case follow up: Is conducted by local public health units (Healthy WA).

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