Most polio cases from UP

Of the confirmed cases, 565 are due to type 1 poliovirus and 18 all in western UP due to type 3. The bulk of type 1 cases nearly 80 per cent of the type 1 viruses sequenced to date are of a single genetic group, which has spread from Moradabad and surrounding districts to infect much of western UP, parts of central and eastern UP, and some districts in neighboring states.

A further 10 per cent are from a single genetic group with origins in endemic districts in north-central Bihar, which has spread south to infect several southern districts of the same state, and west to infect several districts in the eastern part of Uttar Pradesh.

The genetic evidence shows that, consistent with previous years since 2000, viral spread from endemic reservoir areas in western Uttar Pradesh and in Bihar is responsible for all cases of polio in India.

In a written reply, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Panabaka Lakshmi said the 11 cases were reported from Uttar Pradesh 3, Bihar 5, Haryana 1, Maharashtra 1 and Andhra Pradesh 1. She said the epidemiological situation of polio in the country was reviewed by India Expert Advisory Group on Polio during December 2006.

8220;They were of the opinion that the population immunity against wild polio virus type 1 will be very high by the end of 2006 due to improvement in Supplementary Immunisation Activity quality, use of monovalent Oral Polio Vaccine and outbreak of 2006,8221; she said.

The expert group was confident that the virus circulation can be stopped in the country this year through implementation of appropriate strategies, the minister said.

The government, she said, was taking several steps to eradicate the virus from the country, including increasing the number of immunisation rounds in high-risk districts in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar during the first half of this year to accelerate the immunity of children in these areas against the virus.