Polio outbreak confirmed in northeast Syria: WHO

A polio outbreak has been confirmed among young children in northeast Syria, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Tuesday.

A polio outbreak has been confirmed among young children in northeast Syria, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Tuesday.

"Out of those 22 being investigated, 10 are now confirmed to be polio type one," WHO spokesman Oliver Rosenbauer told a news briefing in Geneva.

Laboratory results were still being awaited on the remaining 12 suspected cases in Deir al-Zor, he said.

"Of course this is a communicable disease, with population movements it can travel to other areas. So the risk is high for (its) spread across the region," Rosenbauer said.