Australia's last reported case of wild poliovirus infection.

In 1986 tests on faeces collected from a 22 year old Australian born man who had symptoms consistent with poliomyelitis yielded poliovirus type 3. In a neutralisation test using a panel of monoclonal antibodies the isolate was identified as wild poliovirus type 3 at that time. After further classification using microneutralisation, nucleic acid probe hybridisation, immunoassay and sequencing carried out in three laboratories between 1994 and 1997, the isolate has been reclassified as 'Sabin-like' with 'wild type' characteristics. This case has been quoted in the literature as Australia's last case of locally acquired wild poliovirus. Efforts are now being made to identify the true last case in Australia. This article describes the isolation, identification and further characterisation of this virus.