New Tool to Identify Poliovirus Potentially Infectious Material Samples

In the global campaign for polio eradication, all World Health Organization member states have an international commitment for the containment of polioviruses. This includes the establishment of a national poliovirus inventory. The Centre for Biosecurity is Canada's National Authority for Containment. We maintain and update the National Poliovirus Inventory for facilities that handle or store poliovirus and potentially infectious material.

Potentially infectious material includes any human faecal, respiratory, or concentrated sewage samples that were collected:

•         when poliovirus was in circulation or oral poliovirus vaccine was in use, and
•         were stored in conditions that support poliovirus survival

For more information on poliovirus potentially infectious material, please see our July 2021 newsletter article.

The World Health Organization has developed a new sample identification tool to help determine if the samples stored in your laboratory may be potentially infectious material. This tool compliments the existing Guidance to minimize risks for facilities collecting, handling, or storing materials potentially infectious for polioviruses (potentially infectious material Guidance 2nd edition, 2021).

Depending on where and when the sample was collected, the tool can tell you the poliovirus type and serotype for your potentially infectious material sample.

You must report retention of potentially infectious material to the Public Health Agency of Canada (the Agency). If you believe you have poliovirus potentially infectious material, contact the Agency’s for Biosecurity at biosafety.biosecurite@phac-aspc.gc.ca.