AP No 1 in world diphtheria cases

                HYDERABAD: A drive to immunise as many as 2,500 students of government schools in the city started on Monday with a shocking revelation that over 71 per cent of the world's diphtheria cases are from Andhra Pradesh.The drive, launched by the Directorate of Health in association with National Institute of Epidemiology (NIE), Chennai after a pilot study in the twin cities, will focus on the Old City as 16 per cent (891 cases) of India's 5,826 diphtheria cases (4,161 cases in Andhra Pradesh alone) were reported from here and would be extended to the rest of the state.According to latest figures, 71 per cent of the world's diphtheria cases are from Andhra Pradesh with the Hyderabad's toll rising to 891 cases in 2006. Since the Directorate of Health had vaccine only for children below seven years, a special vaccine for those above seven was bought from Serum Institute by the NIE, which was administered to children at Alia and Mahbubia Government School on the first day.Conducted in seven government schools and junior colleges, the study collected samples from 2,500 children in November 2006 and after getting processed at Moulana Azad Medical College, Delhi, the results came in October this year. The study brought out that 59 per cent of the 2,500 children were susceptible to the disease."Unexpectedly, we also found that 13 per cent of the children were also susceptible to Tetanus. Till now, there was a common perception that all children were immunised against tetanus and this finding came as a surprise," Dr B Sailaja, who carried out the study, told 'TOI'."An air-borne disease, toxins released through the white membrane that is formed in the throat goes into the blood and affects the heart. People are getting their children immunised at the primary-level but a booster dose, which is to be administered at the age of one and a half years and five years, is being ignored due to unawareness. Thereby, immunity levels are going down in children," she added.According to doctors of Fever Hospital, 3.5 per cent to 4 per cent of cases reported from Medak, Ranga Reddy and Mahbubnagar districts end in deaths, while it is just 1 to 2 per cent in Hyderabad.The Directorate of Health is also planning to extend the vaccination drive to all schools in the city.