Acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) is a severe medical condition characterized by rapid onset of muscle weakness or paralysis and mainly affects children. The group of symptoms and signs, not a single disease, often affects muscles involved in breathing or swallowing. The condition, which often affects one leg or arm and is not typically linked to injury, primarily affects children under 15. AFP is associated with a variety of causes, including viral infections such as poliovirus, enterovirus and adenovirus, Campylobacter infections, as well as autoimmune diseases such as Guillain-Barré syndrome (a disorder where the immune system attacks the nerves) and transverse myelitis (inflammation of the spinal cord). AFP case definition any patient who under 15 years of age with acute flaccid paralysis, or A patient of any age in whom a clinician suspect polio Classic example of syndromic surveillance Several other conditions may look like clinical polio (E...
A major turning point has been reached in the fight against the resurgent viral disease Mpox with the announcement by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) of Mpox as a worldwide public health emergency. The declaration highlights the urgent need for coordinated global action, especially in areas like Africa where access to life-saving treatments like vaccines remains limited and the health infrastructure is frequently strained. Mpox: An Emerging Worldwide Threat Long endemic in some regions of Central and West Africa, mpox was formerly known as monkeypox. But subsequent outbreaks in non-endemic areas have sparked concerns, prompting the designation of a worldwide public health emergency. Fever, rash, and enlarged lymph nodes are the disease's hallmarks. It can cause serious consequences and even death, especially in susceptible groups such as young children, pregnant mothers, and people...