Fight isn't over, but polio on brink of eradication

USATODAY.com article:

"Wiping out polio is proving tougher than expected, but world health experts say the disease's demise is tantalizingly near.

"In 1988, there were 350,000 cases. This year, there are just over 500 cases. But this is no time to drop the guard, experts say.

"'As long as there is polio somewhere in the world, we've learned, it is just one traveler away from being anywhere in the world ... including here,' said Julie Gerberding, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 'So it's very, very important that we stay the course and continue to do whatever it takes to eradicate this problem.'"