Polio under check

Repeated rounds of immunisation against polio is likely to have reduced the virulence of the virus, says Dr P Biswas, Assistant Commissioner, Immunisation, Government of India. And with four cases of polio surfacing this year, one each in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Bihar and Maharashtra, Biswas strongly feels that the severity of the disease has reduced significantly.

There were a total of 666 cases of polio in the country last year and a total of 10,000 cases of acute flaccid paralysis AFP. All cases of AFP need not be polio cases, he explained. To eradicate disease, we must identify the wild virus in the community. The wild virus is present in these four cases this year. Even if the child does not have classical symptoms of polio myelitis complete wasting of the muscles leaving the child unable to walk the fact that his/her stool samples have tested positive for the wild polio virus shows that there is a transmission of the virus in that pocket.

It8217;s clear, therefore, that repeated rounds of immunisation against the polio virus may have reduced the severity but there is a need to tackle this transmission, Biswas averred. The international community and WHO experts are satisfied with the quality of immunisation rounds held recently where the percentage of 8220;missed8221; houses has reduced to 6 per cent. 8220;We have strengthened the surveillance system. Results of a stool examination report earlier took at least five weeks. Now it takes just three weeks to obtain the laboratory report, greatly aiding early diagnosis.8221;

While a total of 17.2 crore children were immunised against polio in the January round, the target was again 17 crore children on the second national immunisation round held in the country on Sunday. 8220;We aim to complete at least four more rounds till June and the next one will be in March,8221; says Biswas.