Our National Reference Center for Polio is located in our Public Health Business Area.

The polio-free maintenance measures specified by the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) are:

• Maintaining and documenting high rates of basic immunization among the population;
• Nationwide surveillance systems (mandatory reporting of flaccid paralysis and enterovirus surveillance);
• Quality control of enterovirus-diagnosing laboratories;
• Ensuring safe storage of polioviruses in facilities specially certified by the WHO (World Health Organization);

The most suitable methods for detecting polioviruses are stool samples, cerebrospinal fluid (in the case of CNS manifestations), pharyngeal swabs, pharyngeal rinsing water, and serum (for AK detection). Direct pathogen detection is carried out by means of virus cultivation in cell culture, with subsequent typing (sequencing).