Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Establishment of a Poliovirus Containment Program and Containment Certification Process for Poliovirus-Essential Facilities, United States 2017-2022

Version 1 : Received: 5 January 2024 / Approved: 8 January 2024 / Online: 8 January 2024 (09:27:06 CET)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Ottendorfer, C.; Shelby, B.; Sanders, C.A.; Llewellyn, A.; Myrick, C.; Brown, C.; Suppiah, S.; Gustin, K.; Smith, L.H. Establishment of a Poliovirus Containment Program and Containment Certification Process for Poliovirus-Essential Facilities, United States 2017–2022. Pathogens 2024, 13, 116. Ottendorfer, C.; Shelby, B.; Sanders, C.A.; Llewellyn, A.; Myrick, C.; Brown, C.; Suppiah, S.; Gustin, K.; Smith, L.H. Establishment of a Poliovirus Containment Program and Containment Certification Process for Poliovirus-Essential Facilities, United States 2017–2022. Pathogens 2024, 13, 116.

Abstract

Upon declaration of poliovirus (PV) type 2 eradication in 2015, the World Health Organization (WHO) published PV containment requirements in the Global Action Plan III (GAPIII) for mitigating risks of a facility-associated release post-eradication. In 2018, the 71st World Health Assembly resolution urged Member States retaining PV to appoint a National Authority for Containment (NAC), reduce the number of PV facilities, and submit applications for containment certification. The United States (US) NAC was established in 2018 for containment oversight, and two paths to WHO GAPIII containment certification were developed. Facilities retaining PV were identified through national poliovirus containment surveys. US NAC conducted 27 site visits at 18 facilities (20 laboratories: A/BSL-2 (65%), A/BSL-3 (20%), and storage-only (15%)) to verify implementation of US NAC’s preliminary containment measures. NAC identified areas for improvement in seven categories: primary containment, decontamination, hand hygiene, security, emergency response, training, and immunization practices. Sixteen facility applications were endorsed to pursue poliovirus-essential facility (PEF) certification whereas four facilities opted to withdraw during the containment certification process. The US made noteworthy progress in PV containment to enhance biosafety and biosecurity practices at US PV facilities to safeguard the polio eradication effort.

Keywords

polio; GAPIII; poliovirus containment; NAC; poliovirus-essential facility; PEF

Subject

Public Health and Healthcare, Public, Environmental and Occupational Health

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