Has polio reached Botswana?

Ministry investigates polio in Ghanzi area
29 June, 2006

GHANZI - Two children have been admitted to the Ghanzi Primary Hospital on suspicion that they might have contracted polio which recently broke out in Namibia, says Emang Gower, a health official.

That report is from the Botswana Press Agency (BOPA), via The Daily News website.

Only a few days ago, the region was planning their response to the polio outbreak in Namibia:

Ghanzi on alert to curb polio spread
21 June, 2006

GHANZI - The Ghanzi District Council has devised strategies to prevent the spread of polio from Namibia

They must be in quite a panic.  It was only a few weeks ago that our lab - Tygerberg NHLS - cultured polio from the first patient - that caused chaos.  Will it reach South Africa, which has been polio free since 1987, and if it does, when?  I've been tested, and I'm still immune to polio.  I don't know about my friends and family though.

Our department was recently involved in giving a talk on polio at the Stellenbosch University's medical campus - unfortunately I missed that, as I was away at a funeral.  An upcoming conference will have another talk by us.

28 June stats have 17 dead, and 138 cases of paralysis.  Remember that for every case of paralysis, there are about 100 people spreading the virus without symptoms.