The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : No polio cases in State but threat exists

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, May 10, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

No polio cases in State but threat exists

Special Correspondent

Last case reported in Srikakulam district in May, 2004

HYDERABAD: The State has been free of polio cases for the last 12 months but the threat of recurrence remains as the virus transmission continues in the rest of the country.

The last polio case was reported in Srikakulam district in May 2004 shattering the hopes of health officials of declaring the State polio-free soon. However, they are able to draw satisfaction from the fact that there has been a considerable improvement over 2003 when 21 cases were reported following a national outbreak of polio (total 1,600 cases).

Addressing a press conference here on Monday, the UNICEF State representative, Michel Saint-Lot, and the Commissioner, Health, C. B. S. Venkataramana, said that normally, three successive years of `zero' polio cases would result in declaring the State polio-free officially. But, unfortunately, the virus had struck after three `zero cases' years - 2000, 2001 and 2002.

Problem states

While no indigenous case was detected during 2003, the poliovirus found its way into the State from Karnataka where it entered most likely due to migration from Western Uttar Pradesh. Bihar and UP remain the problem States as far as polio eradication is concerned having accounted for 126 out of 136 cases reported in India during 2004.

The transmission of the virus could be stopped if parents came out to get their children (0-15 years) immunised during the next round of immunisation on May 15, Mr. Venkataramana added.

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