8-year-old UP girl infected with two types of polio virus

We had sent her samples for testing during the last week of May when she reported early onset of paralysis. When the reports came recently,we were surprised to see presence of both types of virus, said S K Jindal,the Chief Medical Officer of Aligarh. This indicates that both types of virus are in circulation,but we are trying to ascertain which one actually caused paralysis.

According to the Health Department records,Tammana had received six doses of monovalent oral polio vaccine of type-1 (mOPV-1) and she does not have any frequent travel history,which makes the health experts believe both types of virus are in circulation in the area.

Since Aligarh is one of the high-risk areas of P-1 polio virus,only mOPV-1 rounds of vaccination have been conducted in the area in the last eight months. Since there were just P-1 vaccination rounds in the area,we are suspecting that it could have been P-3 which actually caused paralysis. We will try to get the samples re-tested if required, Jindal added.

Dr S K Pathyarch,regional head of National Polio Surveillance Project,said,Such cases are certainly uncommon but there is nothing to worry about. There was one such case two years ago as well. The only concern is that this indicates the ongoing transmission of both types of virus in the area. Saying the next round of polio vaccination has been scheduled for July 5 in the state,he added,We are suspecting that this girl may have got both types of virus because of some immuno-deficiency but we have to continue with P-1 rounds only since eradication of P-1 is our target,which is more deadly than P-3.