SHILLONG, AUG 16: Health Minister Dr. M Ampareen Lyngdoh on Wednesday raised concern over the possibility of a new polio strain, potentially identified as ‘Wild Polio,’ in Meghalaya. The sample test report is still pending, and the World Health Organisation (WHO) is conducting a thorough investigation to determine if this is indeed a different strain of polio.
Dr. Lyngdoh stated, “WHO is now investigating further; apparently, another case has been identified in some other state. We need to allow the WHO to further investigate. It’s called ‘Wild Polio,’ and to my understanding, it’s a different strain of polio.”
Regarding the child infected with this suspected strain, the Health Minister assured that both the government and the health department are closely monitoring the situation. “The Government of Meghalaya has focused its attention on the child who was diagnosed with a likely strain of polio. We are in touch with the family, and the child is under observation. I have been briefed that the child is okay,” she said.
Dr. Lyngdoh also emphasized the importance of understanding this new strain and how it might impact future vaccination efforts. “We need to figure out what this ‘Wild Polio’ is and whether WHO will provide further advisories or if there will be a requirement for a new vaccine that also covers the new strains,” she added.
The concern arose after a child from Tikrikilla in the West Garo Hills district was confirmed to have contracted the virus. The child, who was displaying symptoms of Poliomyelitis, was taken to Goalpara in Assam, where doctors diagnosed him with the disease.
This case is particularly alarming given that India was declared polio-free in 2014, following the eradication of the disease in 2011. However, rare instances of polio have been reported, typically involving children who develop the disease after exposure to the weakened virus present in the oral polio vaccine (OPV). While OPV has been instrumental in eliminating wild polio, in very rare cases, the live virus in the vaccine can mutate and lead to vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV), which can cause polio in unvaccinated individuals or in areas with low immunization coverage.