Population Migration Through Railroads And Spatial Diffusion Of Polio In India: A Cross-Sectional Pr

The recent occurrence of polio outbreaks in countries previously considered polio-free such as Tajikistan, Russia and China, and the economic and public health burden of managing such outbreaks underscored the importance of importation of infectious diseases across geographical regions, transcending political boundaries. It also questioned the appropriateness of classifying geographic regions, countries, states and provinces, as endemic and non-endemic and the implications such classifications had on the quality of surveillance and immunization strategies. Although molecular epidemiology and field-surveys have been useful in demonstrating the possible source of reintroduction of virus transmission in disease-free areas, the mode of importation often remains unexplored. The goal of this study is to explore the role played by popular modes of transport, such as the railways, in the importation of polio transmission from endemic to non-endemic states in India.