Health Ministry traces genetic roots of recent polio cases

To fight the spread of polio, the Health Ministry is working on tracing the genetic roots of all the recent cases and creating their family trees.

The project, developed by the ministry with WHO, works on the concept of genetic sequencing. Experts feel that to weed out the disease completely, the family tree and complete genetic history of the viruses need to be traced. So every virus responsible for a polio case in the country over the past two years is being tracked and its genetic family traced.

The family tree, say experts, will help trace the route of the spread of the disease so measures can be taken to prevent further transmission in that route. ‘‘The family tree reveals whether the virus is independently spreading in the area or whether there is seeding from outside. This is important because it not only helps explain how and where the problem is but also where it is spreading and how fast it is spreading,’’ said a senior official in the Health Ministry.