London, 5 November 1996 (RFE/RL) -- The World Health Organization says a polio epidemic in Albania has spread to some neighboring countries, including Greece and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
In a statement, the organization said 20 cases of polio have been discovered in young children in the Kosovo and Metohija regions, adjacent to Albania. Another six cases were found among unvaccinated children in various parts of Greece.
The polio outbreak has killed 13 people and infected 123 in Albania since early April. Since then more than 90 percent of Albanians, under the age of 50, and 98 percent of children in Kosovo and Metohija have been given vaccines against the disease. A second round of vaccinations is scheduled for this month.