New polio cases in Sindh, KP, number rises to 48

Karachi: Two more cases of polio have been reported in Pakistan, taking the total number of cases to 48 this year.

Wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) has been detected in environmental samples collected from two more districts of Bajaur and Gujarat in the country.

According to an official of the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH), the lab has confirmed two cases of 'WPV1'.

The first case reported from the Ghotki district of Sindh is an affected boy.

Ghotki borders the districts of Sukkur, Rahim Yar Khan and Shikarpur where the virus was reported earlier this year.

The second case of polio was reported in a 28-month-old boy from Dera Ismail Khan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

DI Khan is one of the polio-affected districts of South Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. This is the third polio case from DI Khan and the 48th case in Pakistan this year. Genetic sequencing of samples collected from the child is underway.

The official of the laboratory said that till now 23 cases of polio have been reported from Balochistan, 13 from Sindh, 10 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.

He stated that oral polio vaccine is essential to protect children from the infection. The polio program brings oral polio vaccine to the doorsteps of citizens several times a year, while the expanded immunization program provides free vaccines against 12 children's diseases at the nearest health centers.

“We urge parents across the country to ensure multiple doses of oral polio vaccine for all children under the age of five in their supervision and to ensure that their vaccine is up to date,” he said.

Meanwhile, the NIH lab has confirmed the presence of 'WPV1' in environmental samples collected from the two new districts as well as 15 other districts where earlier samples were found positive.

The official said that by November 8, 2024, Gujarat, Multan, Bannu, DI Khan, Tank, Bajaur, Naseerabad, Barkhan, Quetta, Dakki, Dera Bugti, Khuzdar, Sibi, Qila Saifullah, Mastung, Karachi East and Karachi Malir Sewage samples collected from 'WPV1' tested positive.

He added that these are the first samples of 'WPV1' from Bajaur and Gujarat this year, while the remaining 15 districts had earlier reported diagnoses of the virus in human or sewage samples.

The official explained that if the virus is found in sewage, the sample is said to be positive and whenever a child is paralyzed by the virus, it is called a positive case.

He added that the sample of sewage water from an area is the main parameter to determine whether the polio vaccination campaign is running successfully or not. After the samples are found positive, a polio campaign is immediately conducted to eliminate the virus from the area.

Polio can be completely prevented with multiple doses of easily accessible oral polio vaccine.