Abuja — Three hundred and sixty seven cases of polio were recorded in 26 states of the federation in the month of August, National Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), has said.

A report issued by the agency said there was a decline in the wild polio virus type 1 identified as the most dangerous and capable of paralysing children when infected.

According to the report, in 2008, the number of type 1 polio cases were 525 while type 3 was only 47 in 22 states, but as at July 2009, the number of type 1 dropped to 68 while unfortunately the type 3 moved up the ladder to 299 and the number of infected states increased to 26 states.

Executive Director of the NPHCDA, Professor Muhammed Pate, attributed the successes so far recorded to the six national immunisations rounds conducted around the country as well as the involvement of all stakeholders especially the traditional and religious leaders.

Meanwhile the report also states that Kano recorded the highest number of type 3 with about 99 cases but had only 1 case of type 1, followed closely by Bauchi State with 42 type 3 cases and one case of type 1 , Katsina State, a high risk state also had about 34 cases of type 1 and type 1.

Other states affected by the polio virus include Borno State with two cases of type 1 and 16 cases of type 3, Yobe State with one type 1 and fourteen type 3 cases, Jigawa State, one type 1 and 14 type 3 cases, Kaduna State, 16 cases of only type 3, Kebbi State with 1 type 1 and 13 cases of type 3 and Sokoto which had 3 cases of type 1 and 12 of type 3.