The focus of the initiative is the minimization of risk related to poliovirus in educational and research facilities subsequent to the eradication of wild polioviruses and the cessation of oral polio vaccine use.
Identifying all laboratory samples at risk for containing poliovirus is essential for securing a polio-free world.
Poliovirus (PV) and potentially infectious materials (PIM) include human respiratory secretions, fecal specimens, or untreated environmental surface water samples collected for non-polio related work in a time and place (Annex 2) where wild poliovirus (WPV) or vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV) was circulating or where oral polio vaccine (OPV) was in use. (Historical domestic and international specimens are more likely to fall into these categories.)
Additionally, PIM cultured in some common cell lines in order to isolate other viruses of interest may have unintentionally amplified poliovirus, so respiratory or enteric viral isolates obtained from PIM specimens using any of these cell lines are also considered PIM. (See Appendix C: Common Cell Lines and Animals Susceptible to Poliovirus.)
Resources:
U.S National Authority for Containment of Poliovirus
WHO Global Action Plan (GAPIII)
