The Hindu : National : One more polio case confirmed

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jun 10, 2004

National

National

One more polio case confirmed

By P.Sunderarajan

NEW DELHI, JUNE 9. The Union Health Ministry has confirmed one more polio case, taking the total reported in the country till now this year to 11. The latest case has been reported from Srikakulam district in Andhra Pradesh. The affected child is a 14-month boy from a fisherman colony in the district.

Disclosing this, senior Ministry officials told The Hindu that as a follow-up, Andhra Pradesh as also Orissa had been asked to be immediately step up their ant-polio efforts as the area from where the child hailed was close to the border between the two States.

The case, they said, could have serious implications, as it had occurred in an area that was so far considered freed of the virus. The last time a case occurred in Srikakulam district was in 2000. The detection of the case clearly showed that there was some slackening of the anti-polio efforts in Andhra Pradesh.

Till about a month ago, the country seemed to be finally on the verge of totally eliminating the disease, as there has been a sharp decline in number of polio cases in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, the traditionally high risk areas. But, with the occurrence in Srikakulam, there is now an element of uncertainty over whether the country will be able to achieve the goal of zero polio transmission by the end of the year.

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