Two-year-old Zunaid from Menolta, one of the high-risk blocks in Moradabad, has been found infected with P1 virus despite getting at least seven doses of the vaccine for this particular virus. His samples have been sent for genetic sequencing in order to find out the virus’s origin.

In 2006, Moradabad was the epicentre of a polio outbreak. International health agencies, including the World Health Organisation (WHO), had declared Moradabad as the only place in the world that was actively exporting wild polio virus to other countries. Many countries had then made polio vaccination certification a mandatory requirement for Indian children travelling abroad.

Having been able to control the spread of P1 virus, the most virulent polio virus, in the district for around two years, the health agencies were optimistic that the fight against polio would be won by the end of this year. However, the feel-good picture has been spoiled. First, cases were reported from Badaun. And now comes this case from Moradabad. Alarmed, the state Government as well as the WHO have started taking steps to counter the spread of the virus.

The state Government is holding a special mop-up polio vaccination drive on August 26 in 13 high-risk districts of Western UP. “All we can say is that we are doing our best and a special mop-up vaccination drive for P1 virus has been scheduled for August 26,” said Dr M L Khatloiya, director general of Family Welfare Department.

The WHO has mobilised over 55 surveillance medical officers from all over the state to these 13 districts. “Our surveillance officers will camp for the next 20 days in all high-risk areas. They will not only closely monitor the immunisation drives but also provide technical support to the polio programme in these places,” said Dr S K Patryarch, regional co-ordinator of the National Polio Surveillance Project, a collaborative programme of the Government of India and WHO.

In just a week’s time, four P1 cases have been reported in India, all from UP. This takes the total number of Type1 polio cases in the state to 11, while Bihar remains at the second position with just 2 Type1 polio cases so far this year.