Polio drive hits bump in Bengal

The cases are mostly being reported in the Murshidabad area, which has some of the poorest blocks in the state. According to officials, the reason for the increased number of cases is that the previous pulse polio activity was not up to the mark. ‘‘After the state showed good results in 2001, the number of rounds were reduced to three from six. This way the polio virus got a reason to re-enter the areas that had been declared free,’’ says an official.

According to officials in the National Polio Control Programme, the pattern is different as more cases have been detected in areas other than those affected last year.

Rajasthan has reported four, MP seven, Bihar six. Delhi has reported just two cases, followed by one each in places like Orissa and Haryana. ‘‘Due to the upsurge in UP, the virus spilled over to the neighbouring states, which had nearly reached the baseline in 2001,’’ said Dr Sobhan Sarkar, Deputy Commisioner and Polio Coordinator in the Ministry of Health. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health has extended the eradication deadline from 2005.