Australia's national science agency, CSIRO, is calling on all facilities to complete a short five-minute survey to identify or exclude facilities that may have samples containing Poliovirus potentially infectious materials (PIMS).
The Australian Government Department of Health has commissioned CSIRO to conduct this critically important survey, which is part of Australia's commitment to the World Health Organization's Global Polio Eradication Initiative and Active Plan.
The survey is being sent to every facility in Australia that could potentially be holding samples that meet the criteria of being polio potentially infectious materials (PIMs). The completion of this survey is essential for Australia to meet its commitment and is part of the final steps towards the complete eradication of the poliovirus globally.
The last survey was conducted in 2002. As such, there is a 19-year period during which potentially infectious samples may have been unknowingly collected and stored. These could include historical bio-samples, those sourced from overseas, as well as bio-samples collected from visitors to poliovirus infected regions.
CSIRO is appealing to GP clinics to complete the 2021 Poliovirus Potentially Infectious Materials (PIMs) survey before the end of July 2021.
