The health department in Meghalaya has heightened its alertness after a two-year-old child was confirmed to have polio. However, a senior official from the central government has clarified that this is not a wild polio case but a vaccine-derived one. India had not reported any polio cases since 2011, but this new case was confirmed in a child from Tikrikilla in the West Garo Hills district.

According to the official, this type of infection typically affects individuals with low immunity. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared India polio-free in 2014.

A two-year-old boy in a remote village in Meghalaya’s West Garo Hills district has been diagnosed with symptoms of poliomyelitis or polio at a hospital in Assam’s Goalpara, sounding an alarm over a potential return of the virus since India is officially a polio-free state since…

— Jitte (@bhadana) August 20, 2024

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Chief Minister’s Statement on the Situation

Meghalaya’s Chief Minister, Conrad K. Sangma, mentioned that the child had shown symptoms of poliomyelitis over a week ago. The child received treatment for Acute Flaccid Paralysis at a hospital in Golpara, Assam.

Sample Collection and Testing

Meghalaya health officials have collected the child’s stool and other samples, which have been sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) centers under the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for testing. Results are expected from centers in Kolkata and Mumbai. The Chief Minister emphasized the seriousness of the situation, and the government is currently reviewing it.

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Risks for People with Weak Immunity

The oral polio vaccine (OPV) contains a weakened form of the virus, which interacts with the body’s immune system. Individuals with weak immunity are at a higher risk. If immunity is low, the virus can persist in the body for an extended period, potentially causing more damage, including paralysis in rare cases.

Circulating Vaccine-Derived Poliovirus

According to WHO, this case is linked to circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus. Since 2000, over 3 billion children worldwide have received more than 10 billion doses of OPV. The new case in India is one of 24 similar cases reported in 21 countries, against which 2-3 high-quality vaccination campaigns have been conducted.

Importance of Oral Vaccination and Early Detection

To prevent the spread of polio, it is essential that every child receives oral vaccination. If a child shows symptoms such as fever, fatigue, diarrhea, constipation, or headaches accompanied by vomiting, they should be taken to a doctor immediately. These symptoms could indicate a short-term infection. The polio vaccine itself is responsible for this new case, as one strain of the polio virus can attack another. In cases of low immunity, the virus can linger in the body, potentially mutating and causing severe complications.

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