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Polio this week

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UN Foundation press fellowships

14 journalists reported from countries affected by polio as part of the UN Foundation 2025 Polio Press Fellowship Programme. Read the stories inspired by their experiences, published in outlets all over the world.

Summary of new polioviruses this week: 

  • Afghanistan:  three WPV1 cases and two WPV1-positive environmental samples
  • Pakistan:  one WPV1-positive environmental sample
  • Chad:  one cVDPV2 case
  • DR Congo:  three cVDPV2 cases
  • Nigeria:  seven cVDPV2 cases, one cVDPV3 case and two cVDPV2-positive environmental samples
  • Togo:  one cVDPV2 case
  • Zambia:  one cVDPV2-positive environmental sample
Country updates as of 25 February 2026

More information on the countries that have reported cases and/or environmental samples this week.

  • Three WPV1 cases were reported this week, from Paktika, with onsets of paralysis on 6, 9 and 10 October 2025.  The number of cases in 2025 is 16 (most recent case:  onset of paralysis on 24 October 2025). 
  • Two WPV1-positive environmental samples were reported this week, from Kandahar and Kabul, collected respectively on 26 October 2025 and 23 December 2025 (most recent positive environmental sample).

  • No WPV1 case was reported this week.  The total number of cases in 2025 is 31 (most recent case:  onset of paralysis on 14 December 2025). 
  • One WPV1-positive environmental sample was reported this week, collected on 19 January 2026, from Balochistan (most recent positive environmental sample).

  • One cVDPV2 case was reported this week, from Ouaddai, with onset of paralysis on 17 October 2025.  The number of cVDPV2 cases in 2025 is 30 (most recent case:  5 December 2025).
  • No cVDPV2-positive environmental samples were reported this week (most recent positive environmental sample: 09 December 2025).
  • No cVDPV3 case was reported this week. The number of cVDPV3 cases for 2025 is four (most recent case:  18 October 2025).

  • No cVDPV1 case was reported this week.  The number of cVDPV1 cases from 2025 is one (onset of paralysis:  25 June 2025).
  • Three cVDPV2 cases were reported this week, from Maniema, with onsets of paralysis on 8 October 2025, 11 January 2026 and 17 January 2026. The number of cVDPV2 cases in 2025 is six.  The number of cVDPV2 cases in 2026 is two (most recent case:  17 January 2026).

  • Seven cVDPV2 cases were reported this week, from Adamawa, Kwara, Bauchi and Zamfara, with onsets of paralysis between early November 2025 and end January 2026.  The total number of cVDPV2 cases reported in 2025 is 66.  The total number of cVDPV2 cases reported in 2026 is three (most recent case:  18 January 2026).
  • Two cVDPV2-positive environmental samples were reported this week, from Zamfara and Sokoto, collected on 27 November 2025 and 27 January 2026 (most recent positive environmental sample).
  • One cVDPV3 case was reported this week, with onset of paralysis on 3 January 2026, from Kebbi.  The total number of cVDPV3 cases reported in 2025 is five.  The total number of cVDPV3 cases reported in 2026 is one (most recent case:  onset of paralysis on 3 January 2026).

  • One cVDPV2 case was reported this week, from Centrale, with onset of paralysis on 17 January 2026.  It is the first cVDPV2 reported from the country since 2022 (two cases at that time) and is linked to the Zamfara 1 strain.