Polio virus cling on to UP and Bihar states

New Delhi, Aug 31 (UNI) Polio virus has been found in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and other states, Rajya Sabha was informed today.

Minister of state for Health Panabaka Lakshmi in her written reply to Mr Amir Alam Khan's question said there were 648 P1 polio cases in 2006 and majority of them were in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

This year again there are 48 cases in these states.

The virus existed marginally in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chandigarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan and West Bengal.

In the P3 virus cases however, it was alarming as this year the number was 121 compared to 28 all confined to Uttar Pradesh and three cases in Uttarakhand.

She said Oral Polio Vaccines were imported and subjected to tests in Central Drugs Laboratory, Kasuli before they were released to the states. Being heat sensitive they needed appropriate cold storage. Transporation was developed throughout the country at different levels.

UNI