Two new wild polio cases have been discovered in two Fulani settlements in Bukkuyum and Bakura local government areas of Zamfara, bringing the number of new cases to five in the state.
Confirming the new cases in Gusau on Wednesday, the state Immunisation Officer, Mr Aliyu Idris, said that the new cases were discovered in the state in last quarter of last year.
According to him, and that the sufferers were taken for analysis and confirmation abroad “and the results came back positive in January this year.”
He said that initially, there was only one confirmed case in 2011 in Talatan Mafara Local Government Area, which was due to the rejection of rejection of vaccines by the parent of the victim.
Aliyu added that two cases were reported in Badarawa village of Shinkafi Local Government Area.
He attributed the situation to the rejection of the immunization by the parents of the victim.
“The latest two new cases discovered in the Fulani settlements were, however, caused by non-coverage of the settlements during pre-immunization enlightenment campaigns,”
He commended the efforts of the state’s focal officer on immunization, who is also the Emir of Maradun, Alhaji Garba Tambari, for encouraging traditional rulers to enlighten the people of Baradawa to cooperate with the immunisation officers.
The immunisation officer expressed confidence that the state would rank among those with zero cases by the end of this year and appealed to the people of the state to continue to avail their children for the vaccination so that there would be no new infection.
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