The Hindu : New Delhi News : Uttar Pradesh the epicentre of Capital's polio woes

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Sep 20, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Uttar Pradesh the epicentre of Capital's polio woes

By Bindu Shajan Perappadan

NEW DELHI, SEPT. 19. A week after the Capital's second polio case was confirmed, the Union Health Ministry has sounded the alarm bells with studies pointing towards the neighbouring State of Uttar Pradesh for the city's new challenge in eliminating polio.

Uttar Pradesh is being seen as the epicentre of the Capital's never ending polio woes. Traditionally identified as a cluster of wild polio virus, Uttar Pradesh, according to experts, is not allowing the total wipe-out of the virus, jeopardising the Government's Rs. 1,100 crore project for the year 2004.

Releasing figures to support the argument about Uttar Pradesh contributing negatively towards the control of the wild polio virus in the northern parts of the country especially Delhi, Health Ministry sources pointed out that of the 54 cases registered from January 1 to September 11, 2004, Uttar Pradesh accounted for 36 cases, Bihar nine while Delhi and Maharashtra two each.

Also, the genetic sequence data of the virus in Delhi has been traced to those originating in Uttar Pradesh. This is besides the 54 cases reported in 2003 from Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh where the virus source was also traced to Uttar Pradesh.

Now with new cases emerging in the Capital, the Health Ministry is trying to trace the genetic make of these virus and establish the connection. It is hoping that this evidence would make the neighbour wake up, claim responsibility and do something about the problem.

"Unlike anywhere else in the country what we see in Uttar Pradesh is a cluster of the wild polio virus which travels. What is worrying is the fact that the genetic make is similar to the virus strand seen in Delhi, which leads us to believe that the neighbour due to its mismanagement of polio campaign is spreading the virus. The Capital has previously been listed among the States that had more or less controlled polio epidemic but with the emergence of two new cases within a span of six months has us worried," claim sources.

Since 1994, when Delhi initiated the Pulse Polio Programme, from an average of 500 cases annually in 1994-95, the Capital registered only the polio cases in 2003. But now health officials says that this year Delhi's polio case have shown a swift upward trend.

"In Delhi the only saving grace is that the high transmission season for the wild polio virus is over and now we have our fingers crossed," claim sources, adding that Delhi was also grapping with accusation of conduction sub-standard polio campaign drive in some parts of the Capital, contributing to the increased incidence of the ailment.

According to experts, humans are the only reservoir or carrier of polio virus called Wild Polio Virus. We have three types of polio virus in the country, -- I, II, III and we have eliminated type-II virus two years ago.

According to officials, the year 2002 had seen a significant rise in polio cases at the national level and there were 1,600 cases reported of which Uttar Pradesh accounted for 1,242 cases. And since wild the polio virus has no physical boundaries, the proximity of Uttar Pradesh to Delhi has left health officials hot under their collar. However, this time round they are hoping that the problem would be taken up seriously.

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