At a glance
The U.S. Poliovirus Containment Survey is designed to collect relevant facility inventory data to ensure compliance with containment requirements. Facilities should coordinate with laboratory staff who work with the material on a regular basis to complete the survey.
Importance
Polioviruses may be present in biological and environmental materials collected for any purpose at a time and geographic area where wild or vaccine derived poliovirus was circulating, or oral polio vaccine was in use. Many facilities may not be aware that such materials may harbor poliovirus.
Poliovirus containment is critical to minimizing the risk of the virus getting into the environment and causing harm. Laboratories and other facilities that handle or store PV materials pose a risk for the virus being reintroduced into communities. Proper facility containment of poliovirus (PV) is important to keeping the world polio-free.
The definitions and examples page shares examples of wild poliovirus infectious materials and potentially infectious poliovirus materials.
Facility Containment
Containment is achieved by:
- Destroying unneeded or nonessential PV material and potentially infectious material.
- Transferring material to a certified poliovirus-essential facility (PEF).
- Implementing safety and security measures to prevent release of the virus.
Polio eradication is anticipated within the next few years. Then, certified PEFs, biomedical laboratories, and facilities working with the virus or samples will be the only possible PV sources.
Inventory Process
Purpose
The U.S. National Authority for Containment (U.S. NAC) surveys laboratories and other facilities to understand the scope of infectious poliovirus and potentially infectious materials. This includes materials that are currently in use and/or stored by facilities throughout the United States including:
- Fecal samples
- Respiratory secretions
- Environmental samples such as sewage and wastewater