{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,13]],"date-time":"2026-07-13T06:30:16Z","timestamp":1783924216158,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":29,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"10","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,26]],"date-time":"2025-09-26T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1758844800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.mdpi.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Pathogens"],"abstract":"<jats:p>As part of the WHO\u2019s Global Polio Eradication Initiative, acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance in children under 15 years old is crucial for monitoring the emergence of polioviruses and tracking Non-Polio Enteroviruses (NPEVs). This study outlines the past 17 years of AFP surveillance in Greece from 2008 to 2024, during which a total of 256 AFP cases were recorded. Stool samples from these cases were analyzed using virus isolation in cell cultures (RD\/L20B) and sequencing of NPEV-positive samples. The Attica region reported the highest number of cases with 81 (31%), followed by Central Macedonia and Crete, each with 29 cases (11%). The overall analysis of fecal specimens identified the etiological agent in 18 (7%) specimens, with 13 (4.7%) classified as NPEVs, 4 (1.5%) as adenoviruses, and 1 (0.4%) as a parechovirus. Coxsackievirus A, Coxsackievirus B, and various Echoviruses were the most frequently detected NPEV types. Notably, more than half of these positive specimens (10\/18) were from the Attica region, which has the highest population density. These findings highlight the ongoing relevance of AFP surveillance in polio-free settings for broader pathogen monitoring and public health preparedness. Continued vigilance and investment in AFP surveillance are critical to sustaining Greece\u2019s polio-free status and detecting emerging viral threats.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/pathogens14100976","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,26]],"date-time":"2025-09-26T10:39:37Z","timestamp":1758883177000},"page":"976","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Surveillance of Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) in Greece: 2008\u20132024"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"given":"Stavroula","family":"Labropoulou","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"National Poliovirus\/Enterovirus Reference Laboratory, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, 11521 Athens, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Theano","family":"Georgakopoulou","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department for Vaccine-Preventable Diseases & Congenital Diseases, National Public Health Organization, 15123 Athens, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Vahid","family":"Baniasadi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Diagnostic Department and Public Health Laboratories, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, 11521 Athens, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Giota","family":"Mpizta","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Diagnostic Department and Public Health Laboratories, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, 11521 Athens, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Stella","family":"Vorre","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department for Vaccine-Preventable Diseases & Congenital Diseases, National Public Health Organization, 15123 Athens, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Maria","family":"Theodoridou","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"1st Department of Paediatrics, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8970-3647","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mary","family":"Emmanouil","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National Poliovirus\/Enterovirus Reference Laboratory, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, 11521 Athens, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Emmanouil","family":"Angelakis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National Poliovirus\/Enterovirus Reference Laboratory, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, 11521 Athens, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,26]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"World Health Assembly (2025, July 20). 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