POST-VACCINAL ANTIPOLIOMYELITIS SEROPREVA LENCE IN URBAN-ENVIRONMENT IN ABIDJAN, COTE-DIVOIRE

In order to determine the antipoliomyelitis seroprevalence of children in Abidjan, we checked the presence of antipoliovirus antibodies in 4 8 children received in the South Abobo's vaccination center for vaccin ation against measles. According to the vaccination schedule and rules applied in Cote d'Ivoire: 12.5 % of the children have received less t han three doses or oral polio vaccine (OPV), 87.5 % have received the three doses. Antibody titration results indicated that 78.6, 93 and 76 .2 % of the children have been immunized against Poliovirus type I, ty pe II and type III, respectively; 71.4 % of the children showed antibo dies against the three poliovirus serotypes and 4.8 % had no antipolio virus antibodies at all. The children which showed an antibodies titer less than 1/8 were considered unprotected: the proportion of unprotec ted was 21.4, 7 and 23.8 % against Poliovirus type I, type II and type III, respectively. Although these results showed that the level of pr otection against poliomyelitis in Abidjan is acceptable (> 75 %), the efforts for vaccination program in Cote d'Ivoire need to be improved i n order to eradicate poliomyelitis.