K'taka to launch mop-up drive on polio eradication

Bangalore, Dec 5 (UNI) In response to the detection of wild polio virus in a child migrated from Uttar Pradesh to here, the Centre has directed the Karnataka Government to launch a mop-up operation on December 9 on a war-footing to protect childern less than five years in city limits and Bangalore Rural and Ramanagar districts.

Karnataka Health Department principal secretary Usha Ganesh told reporters that a state level steering committee was held today on the operational and logistic aspects of the special drive to be conducted.

''The wild virus was isolated from a two-year-old child in the migrant population from Faizabad and hence it is presently under transmission,'' she said.

The mop-up round would ensure protection of the local children from polio, she said.

The government urged parents to bring their children to the nearest booths for polio vaccine administration, irrespective of the number of drops received earlier, she added.

UNI