India has marked three years since its last polio case was reported, a major milestone in eradicating the disease.
The marker puts the country on course to being formally declared polio-free in March. The World Health Organisation (WHO) still needs to confirm there are no undetected cases before making the official declaration.
Polio is a vaccine-preventable disease that has been eradicated in most countries. But it still causes paralysis or death in some parts of the world, including Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Polio usually infects children under five when they drink contaminated water. The virus attacks the central nervous system, causing paralysis, muscular atrophy, deformation and, in some cases, death.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/13/india-marks-three-years-since-last-polio-case
The marker puts the country on course to being formally declared polio-free in March. The World Health Organisation (WHO) still needs to confirm there are no undetected cases before making the official declaration.
Polio is a vaccine-preventable disease that has been eradicated in most countries. But it still causes paralysis or death in some parts of the world, including Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Polio usually infects children under five when they drink contaminated water. The virus attacks the central nervous system, causing paralysis, muscular atrophy, deformation and, in some cases, death.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/13/india-marks-three-years-since-last-polio-case