4.5 million people vaccinated in China against polio in five weeks

In a fight against the disease that resurfaced in China after 12 years, some 4.5 million children and young people were vaccinated in a fight against polio. The diseased killed a person and left 17 others paralysed, according to the World Health Organisation.

Scientists claim the strain originated from Pakistan.

“Even if they don't come down with any symptoms (carriers), by giving them polio vaccine we make that person less infectious,” Oliver Rosenbauer, WHO spokesman for the Global Polio Eradication Initiative in Geneva told AFP.

WHO assumes that for every case it finds, there would be 199 others infected with the virus without displaying symptoms.

"We are sensitising disease surveillance in large hospitals to look for any child or adult displaying polio-like symptoms. We'll look out for new cases, we hope there won't be," he said in a telephone interview.

Polio has flu-like symptoms such as fever, nausea, headache and can result in paralysis within 24 to 72 hours. There is no cure for polio, and doctors only manage their symptoms.