ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has reported 46 poliovirus cases in 2024, the latest case was registered in Qilla Saifullah district of Balochistan, Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme (PPEP) said.
According to PPEP, on June 8th first poliovirus case was reported in Quetta provincial capital city of Balochistan while the latest wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) case has been reported in Qilla Saifullah district of Balochistan taking the provincial tally to 23rd.
In August 2024, Pakistan has reported seven poliovirus cases. The National Institute of Health (NIH) has notified the 46th polio case of the year from Qilla Saifullah where polio virus was detected in a child.
According to PPEP, the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the NIH has confirmed the detection of the 46th Wild Poliovirus Type-1 (WPV1) case in Pakistan.
This is the second polio case from Qilla Saifullah, where several environmental samples have tested positive for WPV1. So far, 23 cases have been reported from Balochistan province, 12 from Sindh province, nine from KP and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.
Genetic sequencing of the sample collected from the child is underway. WPV1 has been detected in 76 districts, indicating widespread circulation of the virus and a continued serious risk to children’s well-being from a disease that can paralyse them for life.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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