Poliovirus
ISLAMABAD: A six-year-old boy from Chakwal, Punjab has been diagnosed with poliovirus, marking the first reported case from Punjab this year.
This diagnosis comes just a day after two additional cases of poliovirus were confirmed elsewhere in Pakistan, raising the total number of cases for the year to 12.
According to a report, citing an official from the Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI), the boy was paralyzed by Wild Poliovirus Type 1 (WPV1).
The official detailed that the boy’s condition was confirmed by the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH) in Islamabad. The child had onset of paralysis on July 16, 2024.
The PEI official stated that nine of the cases reported this year have been from Balochistan, while two cases were detected in Sindh. The two new cases identified on Saturday were from districts Jhal Magsi and Killa Abdullah in Balochistan.
Specifically, a three-year-old from Jhal Magsi and a 1.5-year-old from Killa Abdullah were both paralyzed by the virus. The Jhal Magsi case, symptomatic since July 5, is linked to a virus strain previously found in Usta Muhammad. The Killa Abdullah case, showing symptoms since June 10, is currently undergoing genetic analysis.
The ongoing challenges faced by the polio eradication program in Pakistan include local protests, security issues, and vaccine hesitancy, which have disrupted vaccination efforts. These difficulties have particularly impacted Balochistan, where the majority of this year’s cases have been reported.
In addition to the new cases, WPV1 has also been detected in environmental samples from four previously infected districts, including Islamabad, Karachi East, Karachi Keamari, and Multan in Punjab. The environmental samples collected in these areas reveal ongoing viral activity.
In Karachi, environmental samples collected on July 18, 2024, from the Chakora Nala and Korangi Nala sites showed continued presence of the virus.
The samples from Karachi East and Korangi are linked to previous strains found in Balochistan and Sindh.
Similarly, samples collected from Islamabad on July 20, 2024, and from Multan on July 9, 2024, confirmed the presence of WPV1, with the virus in these locations showing high genetic similarity to previously detected strains.
The total count of polio-infected districts in Pakistan for the year 2024 has now reached 58, indicating a continued presence of the virus in multiple regions.
The PEI official emphasized the need for ongoing vigilance and comprehensive vaccination efforts to combat the spread of poliovirus.
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