Never underestimate stupidity and ignorance

"We cannot give a specific date when the immunisation exercise will resume because the tests have not been concluded. It was supposed take one week but it has now dragged into weeks," Yule said by telephone from Kano.

"We will begin as soon as the result is out. We have already retrained staff and are mobilising people, including Islamic leaders to participate."

The re-emergence of the virus in countries that had been polio-free has been a major setback to a WHO campaign to eradicate the disease - endemic in only six countries in 2003 - by the end of 2005.

There have been 62 new infections in Nigeria in the last two weeks, with a total of 259 confirmed polio cases in Africa's most populous nation.

Nigeria State Reels Under Polio