Detection of circulating type 3 vaccine-derived polioviruses in French Guiana, May to August 2024

Abstract

Circulating type 3 vaccine-derived polioviruses (cVDPV3s) were detected in three wastewater samples collected in French Guiana from May through August 2024. As the oral polio vaccine is not used in French Guiana, this event involved an import either of cVDPV3s themselves or of a vaccine strain from which the cVDPV3s emerged in French Guiana. This highlights the importance of environmental surveillance for the detection of silent poliovirus circulation. Eliminating any pockets of cVDPVs is crucial for the polio eradication programme.