Polio in Malawi
28 Feb 2022
On 23 February 2022, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative reported one case of polio in Lilongwe, Malawi in 2021 which was thought to be imported from Pakistan.
Advice for Travellers
Polio is a serious infection caused by the poliovirus. The virus lives in an infected person’s throat and intestines. It enters the body through the mouth and spreads through:
- contact with the poo from an infected person
- droplets from a cough or sneeze from an infected person, this is less common
You can become infected if you:
- have poo on your hands and you touch your mouth
- put objects in your mouth that are contaminated with the infected poo
- consume food and water that has been contaminated with the poo from an infected person
You should consider having a booster dose of polio vaccine if it has been more than 10 years since your last booster and you are travelling to a country where polio remains a problem.
For further information see the fitfortravel Malawi country page and Poliomyelitis page.