Mumbai, June 20, 2008-  The world would be free from polio soon due to intensified procedures, techniques and training that are being adopted for its eradication during the last two years, according to experts.

Among all Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) cases so far investigated in 2008 in India, five cases of polio virus type 1 and 272 cases of polio virus type 3 are confirmed, they said, adding that eradication was only a matter of time.

All the five cases of polio virus type 1 are from Bihar. Rest of the world had already eliminated this virus type some years back, they said.

The good news is that Western Uttar Pradesh which still has the prevelance of polio virus type 3 is completely free from polio virus type 1, they said during a WHO workshop for early polio detection process hosted by the Indian Council of Medical Research's Enterovirus Research Centre here.

"It is emphasized that Polio type 2 is already eradicated globally in 1999. We feel that great progress has been made towards goal of polio eradication," Dr Nalini Ramamurty, Virologist, WHO South East Asia Region told PTI today at the concluding day of the workshop 'Alternate Algorithm in Polio Surveillance Programme'.

A network of polio laboratories has been established by WHO since the beginning of the eradication program as laboratory confirmation is the criterion for certification of polio eradication.