The polio type-1 (P1) virus may have been contained, but another, less dangerous p3 virus is wreaking havoc in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
P3 virus resurfaces in a major way in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar NEW DELHI: The polio type-1 (P1) virus may have been contained, but another, less dangerous p3 virus is wreaking havoc in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
This has put a question mark on the government policy that singularly focused on eradicating P1, neglecting other forms of the polio virus.
In a policy shift, the government is using the monovalent oral polio vaccine 1 (mOPV1), instead of the regular trivalent polio vaccine that immunises children to all polio types.
As a result, no fresh cases of P1 have been reported in the last one year. But the neglect of other polio viruses has led to an unprecedented outbreak of P3. Eighty-two cases of P3 have been reported since January 2008 – 69 in UP, Bihar (12) and Haryana (1) and the virus is replacing P1.
Health ministry officials agreed that P3 cases were on a sharp rise due to the singular focus on P1, but said that since the latter was more virulent it needed to be checked first.
“We had almost lost hope on P1. Hence, the focus was shifted to tackling it. Today we are close to eradicating P1 from India,” an official said.
Officials in the national polio control programme played down the P3 threat, saying a few extra rounds of vaccination could easily control the strain. “The target for this year is to eradicate P1 and keep P3 down,” an official said.
“Though P3 too disables, it can be contained easily as the virus doesn’t spread fast. However, the health authorities have to be on guard and quickly start immunisation rounds for P3 too,” said Dr Raju C Shah of Indian Pediatrics Association (IPA). Shah has been part of the IPA polio immunisation programme.
Of the three polio viruses, P2 has been eradicated from the world, but P1 and P3 are still active. Between the two, P1 is the most dangerous. It not only spreads rapidly, but also can’t be killed easily and persists in the human chain for long. P3 spreads slowly, doesn’t cause severe paralysis and has a low disability rate. Health experts, however, say it can be a cause of worry in the future.
The trivalent polio vaccine immunises children against all three polio types. However, since monovalent oral polio vaccine produces higher immunity as compared to trivalent, MoPV1 was used in high-risk districts and states.
While the number of P1 cases reduced sharply from 648 in 2006 to 83 last year, the number of P3 cases increased from 28 in 2006 to 784 last year, taking the total number of polio cases to 864 in 2007. The total number of polio cases (P1 and P3 together) in 2006 was 676.
p_vineeta@dnaindia.net 
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}