Control of poliomyelitis in Kuwait

The use of oral poliovirus vaccine [OPV] in the early 1960[s] marked the beginning of the State's effort in controlling poliomyelitis in Kuwait. During the next two decades, despite the vaccine's availability and use, the disease continued to cause disability and death. However, with the massive and sustained use of the trivalent OPV since 1963G and the introduction of neonatal supplementary immunization with monovalent type 1 [MOPV] in 1976G along with strengthening of the surveillance activities against poliomyelitis, the incidence of the paralytic disease began declining and by the mid-eighties it disappeared altogether. With no cases of paralytic poliomyelitis reported in Kuwait since 1986G, the disease is largely controlled. The epidemiology of poliomyelitis in Kuwait has been examined here in retrospect. The paper profiles about 3 1/2 decades [1958 G to 1992 G] of efforts that led to this impressive virtual elimination of poliomyelitis. In order to maintain this status and eventually achieve the goal of eradication without the rare occurrence of vaccine-associated paralysis, it is, in our opinion, necessary to adopt an approach of combined vaccination with the inactivated polio vaccine [IPV], preferably in the neonatal age, followed by OPV. Simultaneously, monitoring the presence and circulation of wild poliovirus in the environment and continuous surveillance should be carried out for timely intervention

outbreak of enteritis among the Kuwaiti mission during the 1979 pilgrimage to Mecca

An outbreak of enteritis occurred on 31 October 1979 in Arafat, Saudi Arabia, among the members of the Kuwaiti medical mission accompanying pilgrims to Mecca. The predominant symptoms were colicky abdominal pain and diarrhoea, starting 13 hours after the consumption of the suspected contaminated food. The symptoms subsided in 12 to 24 hours. Clostridial food poisoning was probably responsible for this outbreak as evidenced by epidemiological investigations