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An extremely infectious disease, Polio affects the nervous system and can also lead to paralysis muscular atrophy, and even death. It spreads from the contamination of food and water. According to World Health Organization the polio virus originated in Nigeria and reached Kenya through Somalia.
Kenya has remained free from Polio since 1984 till an outbreak of the disease in the neighboring countries brought the disease back to the country. The first case in Kenya after a gap of 22years occurred at the refugee camp near the Kenya-Somalia border. The infected person was a three year old Somali girl. This incident aroused fear and apprehension in the refugee camps. Samples from children in the north eastern Garissa district have been collected to search for the origins of the Polio virus. that is where the health officials came across the three year old refugee girl who showed symptoms of Polio.
In the opinion of Dr. Nyikal (Director of medical services for Kenya's Ministry of Health) the polio virus may have entered the country through the Somalis who have recently settled in Kenya. It is the 26th country which has been re-infected with Polio. The outbreak of Polio in Somalia in 2005 has resulted in the migration of the virus from Somalia to its neighbor, Kenya resorted to the immunization against polio. Three million children across the 'Horn of Africa' were immunized in 2006. It is the border areas in north eastern regions of Kenya which are the high risk zones.
The Polio case in the refugee camp has given birth to fear in the border areas and an immunization campaign to rid Kenya of the disease.
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