SINGAPORE : A resurgence of polio in Asia and Africa has prompted the Ministry of Health (MOH) to advise travellers bound for nine countries to be fully immunized.

In India, polio has been concentrated in the northern state of Bihar - home to Bodhgaya, a major pilgrimage site for Buddhists.

Other countries also experiencing an outbreak of the disease are Afghanistan, Angola, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria and Pakistan.

The ministry said travellers should ensure they have received at least three doses of polio vaccine. It also recommends a single lifetime booster for adults who have had the three doses and who are travelling to the affected countries.

Polio is an infectious viral disease spread through faecal-to-oral contact. It mainly affects infants and young children.

Common symptoms of polio include fever, tiredness, headache, nausea and vomiting, while paralysis occurs in less than one percent of patients. - CNA /ls