India intensifies measures along Pakistan borders to keep polio virus at bay

After India became polio-free for the last one year, health authorities have taken special measures to check spread of virus from China and Pakistan, and thereby keeping the track record of the country intact.
The last polio case was reported from India on January 13, 2011 and the country celebrated the one year of becoming polio free last month. However, as precautionary measures to keep polio virus at bay, now the authorities have mounted special arrangements in the places bordering China and Pakistan, sources said.
“The poliovirus detected in China in 2011 is most closely related to the poliovirus currently circulating in Pakistan. Surveillance for polio has been intensified through active case search in the health facilities in Amritsar and other nearby districts and blocks of Punjab, Rajasthan, J&K and Gujarat that share a common border with Pakistan,” a Health Ministry spokesman said.
“In addition continuous vaccination of children is carried out at Attari train station and Wagah border (in Punjab), Munabao train station (in Rajasthan) and at Kaman PHC and Chak da Bagh on a routine basis,” he added.
“India has not had a case of wild poliovirus nor detected the virus in sewage sampling since January 13, 2011. When all pending samples have cleared laboratory testing, India will be considered to have interrupted transmission of indigenous wild poliovirus. The country has an aggressive agenda to strengthen routine immunization and maintain supplementary activities in order to maintain high immunity. In addition, sensitive surveillance and emergency response plans are in place in every state to detect and swiftly respond to importations,” according to the WHO official website monitoring the polio cases around the world.
In Pakistan, two new cases were reported in the past week also. Both cases had onset of paralysis in 2012, bringing the total number of cases in 2012 to nine. The most recent case had onset of paralysis was on January 20. The total number of cases in 2011 remains 198, WHO statistics said.
Source:Pharmabiz